Made to Endure
by dancewithitsghost
Summary: In this not so new take on a GGDIME, a loud-mouthed, ostentatious, tempestuous, and rambunctious girl finds herself stolen away from her time and thrown headlong into a world at war. Middle Earth is facing an extraordinary evil…and Arianna just wants to shave. LegolasxOC, Legomance
1. You Disgusting Yiffer

**Full summary:** In this not so new take on a GGDIME, a loud-mouthed, ostentatious, tempestuous, and rambunctious girl finds herself stolen away from her time and thrown headlong into a world at war. Middle Earth is facing an extraordinary evil…and Arianna just wants to shave.

In the clusterfuck of melodrama that has befallen her life, Arianna must find a way to survive the war, avoid falling in love, and figure out how to get home, all without disturbing the flow of the universe with her abounding knowledge of Tolkien's vibrant world.

Hey. It's a tough job, but someone's got to do it.

Welcome to **Made to Endure**, a humble fanfiction by_ dancewithitsghost_

* * *

Buenos nachos, everyone! My name is Mandie. It's 1.20 in the morning for me, and as an acute insomniac, I like to pass the time by writing shameless fanfiction to appease my wild imagination. Lord of the Rings has always been one of my favorite fandoms, so I decided, _Hey! Why not try my hand at a story?_ because lord knows I think about these things 24/7. Why, just the other night, I had a dream that I travelled with Aragorn, Gimli, and Legolas on a grand adventure to the local bar. It was a dream for the history books, I'll tell you that. BUT, enough about me and my brain activity. This is the beginning of the story (setting up the plot and what have you), and I really hope you enjoy it! Feedback is always welcome; good or bad, I would love to hear from you! :)

* * *

**1.**

Arianna had perched herself huffily atop one of the many thousands of rocks around her.

It seemed like hours since she'd awoken with a crick in her neck, finding herself lying on a bed of gravel at the base of a small river. That had been at the verge of dawn and Arianna was now rolling up on high noon in style, taking deep drags of her cigarette as she surveyed the landscape through her oversized aviators. She mulled over everything in her mind, all the possible ways that she might have ended up in this bizarre place.

She could have been kidnapped. Perhaps someone had stolen into her apartment late at night and taken her from her bed, intending to transfer her to a secondary location to do god-knows-what with her, but she had fallen from the back of their truck? She snorted. This was unlikely. Not only was Arianna a considerably light sleeper but her apartment also had an alarm system, so unless it was her own roommate that had shucked her body by the riverside, that theory was out.

She could have been sleepwalking. Arianna rolled her eyes at herself. Sleepwalking? She could barely sleep at all! She'd been dealing with acute insomnia for nearly four years now. Whenever she did manage to get to sleep, it was a pathetic and altogether useless one; she rarely ever made it into slow wave sleep, and thus, sleepwalking was not a valid hypothesis.

She could be dead. This, Arianna hated to admit, might be the most plausible of her deliberations. Possibly, she died during her sleep, a consequence of the many bad habits she'd developed in her short twenty years. She stared at the cigarette in her hand thoughtfully, sticking out her bottom lip and giving a small harrumph. Shrugging, she took another drag. Well, if she was already dead…

Continuing her thought, Arianna proceeded to look around. If she was dead, then where the hell was she? As an atheist, Arianna hardly believed in God, and thus, could not be justified in believing in Heaven, meaning that she was not justified in believing in Hell either. As far as she had been concerned, when someone died, they went in the ground and stayed there for the rest of eternity. There was none of that soul-ascending shit, and she certainly had never put stock in reincarnation.

"Okay, so maybe I'm not dead," she mused aloud, stubbing out the butt of her cig. She stood and slid her cigarette carton into her front pocket. "And if I'm not dead…" she took a deep breath, "WHERE THE HELL AM I?"

Her shout echoed through the air, carried on the wind across the river before dying away. Sighing, she flopped back down, her elbows on her knees. She had been staring at the same stretch of land since she'd sat herself on top of the rock nearly an hour ago, not exactly a proactive endeavor. She needed to find out where she was, but to do that, she needed someone to talk to. Nothing about this place looked familiar, and she was nearly positive the terrain didn't belong anywhere in her native Tennessee. If she was going to figure out anything, she would have to start walking.

"I wonder how long it will be before I find someone." She glanced back towards the river. She had put a fair bit of distance between herself and the water, but it was still well within her line of sight. Arianna's inner survival mode kicked into high gear. She didn't know how long she'd be without water, and without water, she wouldn't make it long at all. She needed to go back and drink as much as she could bear in order to stay hydrated. The last thing she wanted to do was collapse from dehydration. It had happened to her once before, and it wasn't an experience she was eager to repeat.

So she made her way slowly back down to the river, stumbling occasionally and cursing her center of balance (or lack of same, as it were). The sun had risen high and was shining brightly across the lands, warming her entire body. It was a pleasant sort of warmth, neither too hot nor too cool. It was lucky for her, the weather. It was like a nice, full spring day, where the breeze is refreshing and the sun is comfortable. However, she frowned, it was also disconcerting. When she had gone to bed last night, it had been under a bundle of covers nearly three inches thick. It was dead winter back home…

She finally reached the small river, bending down eagerly to take a mouthful of water. It tasted earthy and dirty, not at all the purified version that she was used to, but she could hardly be choosy right now. It was cool and refreshing enough. She took the time to pat her face with her wet hands, spreading the liquid across her shoulders and to the back of her neck. She gulped down five more handfuls before she stood, feeling full and content.

"My Lady?"

Arianna shrieked, whipping around so quickly that she lost her balance and tumbled straight to the ground, her arms flailing behind her and sliding into the water. She winced, feeling the sharp sting of the small rocks as they sliced through the skin on the back of her forearms. She stared, wide-eyed and agitated at the man before her.

"Fuck, man!" Arianna said loudly, willing her heart to stop thrashing. If it went any harder, it would beat right out of her chest. "Give a girl a warning, would you?" Scrambling, she stood, bringing beads of water with her and flinging droplets at him in annoyance. "Jesus!" She managed to reign in her shaking enough to stand on two solid legs, taking off her button-down shirt and flapping it in the wind. She gave the sleeves a few good wrings. She patted herself down, checking to see that her cami hadn't been dampened by her fall. She took the time to examine her arms as well; they were both reddening and raw, and a few faint scratches were developing nicely. She frowned. That was lame. Knowing there was very little she could do about it now, she slung her shirt back on, not bothering to button it this time. The arms, still damp, hung awkwardly, and she held them out pathetically to regard her newly developed fashion faux pas.

"I apologize. I did not mean to frighten you."

Arianna turned her eyes to the new arrival. He was wearing thick, grey trousers underneath a long, green tunic. Heavy boots adorned his feet and his forearms were covered in bracers. His hair was flat and unnaturally golden, braided in the front by his temples.

Arianna raised a brow. "You couldn't frighten a wet kitten, _Legolas_," she said, unimpressed. He did, indeed, look very much like the famous character. "You just startled me is all." She noticed that at the mention of the name Legolas, his own eyebrows had soared towards his abnormally high hairline. "So, what's with the getup? Is there a Con around?" Arianna took a moment to pat her butt for stray dust.

Distracted as she was by the quickly declining state of her clothing, Arianna didn't notice the _shink_ of the dagger as it was drawn. Before she could even return her gaze to him, she felt the cold blade press lightly against her throat. Her eyes widened and she quickly returned to look at him. In doing so, she felt the blade slide eerily across her throat, and shook in quiet pain for a moment as it made a small cut.

"How is it you know my name?" he questioned sturdily, grabbing her arm with his free hand.

Arianna gaped like a fish for a moment, opening her mouth and closing it again when she found that her voice had gone shot. Instead of a verbal answer, Arianna gave him a hard shove in the chest with her free hand. "Are you serious, man? Get the fuck away from me!" Her meager shove wasn't nearly enough to budge him, and he had a firm grip on her arm, which he tightened as he drew her close again.

"Why do you know my name?" he repeated. "Who are you? A spy, sent to tempt us?"

"Ugh!" Arianna groaned. "Tempt you? Only in your dreams, you disgusting yiffer!" Yeah, she knew terms.

He gave her a long stare before he loosened his grip on her arm. He did not let go, but he removed the blade from her throat. He didn't remove it entirely, though; it stayed at the ready. "What is your name?" he posed warily.

"How about you let me go and take about four good steps back and I might tell you?" Arianna posed in quite the same manner. Reluctantly, he withdrew, releasing her arm, and – as she had requested – took exactly four full steps back. Arianna let out a strong breath, rubbing at her tender arm.

"My name is Arianna," she said quietly, studying him. "Who the hell are you? And I want your real name."

"But you know my name," he responded suspiciously. "You have already spoken it."

"Yes," Arianna began, exasperated, "I know that you're dressed up as Legolas! Points for you for staying in character, and points for me for knowing who the hell you were trying to be, but when I said real name, I meant the one your parents gave you! You know, the one you use to pay your bills."

"I am afraid that I do not understand you. Legolas is my real name, and I do not know what _bills_ are."

Arianna fisted her hands on her hips and hung her head. "All right," she said, quickly reaching her boiling point as she glared at him again, "this is ri-god-damn-diculous! Look, buddy, I'm in a bit of a pinch, and I would really appreciate it if you would be serious with me right now. If you have to stay in character to do that, then whatever, but can you please at least tell me where we are?"

"We are in Eregion," _Legolas_ responded calmly. His eyes betrayed him nothing. There was no twitch, not one little hiccup in his muscles, and he looked at her evenly. This guy was serious. He really just told her – with a straight face, no less – that they were in uninhabited lands of Middle Earth.

Furiously, Arianna rushed him. He raised his dagger again, but did not strike her. He merely grasped her, keeping her at arms length with a stern gaze and a strong hold. That was okay, though, arms length was all she needed. She made a mad swipe at his ear, full intent on yanking the damn prosthetic off. She caught it in her small hand and pulled with all her might. The man gave a very emasculating yelp and shoved her away almost immediately. Arianna looked down at her empty hand, staring in disbelief. There was no way…she had a solid grip on the ear, she was sure. There was no way she couldn't have pulled it off.

Arianna slowly brought her eyes up to meet his scandalized face. _Could he really be…? No. It isn't possible. I mean. Elves don't exist. Maybe those are surgical implants? Elf ears, do they do that now?_

Her mind whirled and a rolling wave of nausea overwhelmed her. Unsteadily, she moved back to him. Legolas was very hesitant to let her anywhere near him again, but he could see a drastic change had swept over her, and he allowed her to step closer. He watched her every move as she reached for his ear again, this time slowly. She let the very tip of her finger rest against it, and she took a deep breath as she ran her fingerprint along its length. He fought back a shiver.

"You," she choked out. The animosity in her voice was gone, and she now sounded scared. "You're an elf."

* * *

Bazinga! There you have it. The next chapter (given that there is enough interest and that I ever get around to posting it) will be much longer! This was just a tease, a taste, a prologue of sorts. Now, we can get down to the real fun! Again, feedback is welcome, good or bad, and thanks for taking time to read my drivel! :D


	2. Pretty Cosmic Shit

First and foremost, please let me express my deep gratitude to everyone who took the time to read this. And my deepest thanks to those who deemed it worthy enough to review/favorite/subscribe to! That there was any interest in this story at all astounded me, and I'm deeply honored for that! So thank you so much! :D One of the (several) fatal flaws of is that I don't believe I can respond directly to your reviews, but I fully intend on doing so here in the story intros. Every review. Every time. No exceptions. If you take the time to review, I will always take the time to respond. :) So,

**To my very first reviewer, Ashes:** Thank_ you!_ I'm glad you already like Arianna. Trust me, she's a hoot-and-a-half to write. I can already tell I'm going to love her more than any OC I've ever written! x) And I'm really glad you liked her attack on Legolas! It was a fun scene to write, definitely! Thanks so much for the review, and I hope you enjoy the second chapter! :D

**To my wonderful second reviewer, Sen:** I'm really glad you like the story so far, and thanks so much for the review! It means a lot! As for her atheism, it plays a big part in the story later on, so I'm glad you took immediate notice of it! :)

On another note, please don't get too attached to these quick updates. xD I'm a really awful procrastinator, and what usually happens with any of my stories is that I get really excited and barrel through about the first 3-5 chapters, and then a terrible lapse will start. I will do my damnedest not to let that happen to this story! I think that's all for now, so - without further ado - here is the second chapter!

* * *

**2.**

Arianna collapsed to a heap, leaning forward on her hands and hanging her head. She took deep, slow breaths, willing the bile back down her throat. The ground blurred in and out of focus, and her ears echoed with the sound of her throbbing temples. Her throat was thick and tight, and she gasped for air, feeling as if her very sanity was slipping away through her dry lips. She fisted her hands in the gravel, and suddenly she could feel the sting of every one of her small cuts. A thin, warm trickle of blood ran down her neck.

"Lady Arianna…?"

Legolas was beside himself. This woman was an absolute mystery to him: from her strange clothing and the way she spoke to her kaleidoscopic of emotions. The sheer shock that had registered on her face when she had discovered he was an elf had softened his heart. Her face had looked so…devastated, as if she had just suffered some terrifying realization. Her eyes had grown wide and fearful, almost childlike in her dread. Now she sat, near tears, shaking on the ground, and Legolas was absolutely ignorant of what course to take. Did he console her? Could he trust that she meant no harm, or was it all a ploy? Frowning, he stepped forward cautiously.

He placed a tender hand on her shoulder. "What troubles you?"

When she felt the touch, she pulled away immediately. He felt too real; it terrified her. Her eyes were wet as she stared up at him, willing his image to disappear. She had no idea what to do. Could it really be that she had – by some inconceivable circumstance – found herself in Middle Earth, in the very midst of the War of the Ring? It seemed so much more than impossible.

"Tell me it's not true," she begged very suddenly. The words exploded from her mouth before she could stop them. "Please. If this is a joke, it's not funny anymore. I want to go home. Please, just tell me where I am. I just want to go home. I want to go back to my world." Her words began to jumble together as she slowly slipped into hysterics. "This isn't real. Middle Earth…not real."

"Lady Arianna…" Legolas couldn't make heads or tales of what she was saying. She couldn't believe she was in Middle Earth? She seemed lost, yes, and he admitted she was abnormal in many ways, but what did she mean she wanted to go home, to her world? He opened his mouth to question her, but she looked up at him so sharply that he almost started.

"You're Legolas," she stated. She then shook her head. "_Are_ you Legolas?" she rephrased, and then, without waiting for his answer, continued. "The Legolas, son of Thranduil, Prince of Mirkwood, Legolas?"

He blinked, quite taken aback. "Yes. Have we…met before, Lady Arianna?" He would have remembered such a woman, he was sure.

"No," she said simply, her voice going quiet. She hung her head again.

"Might I ask how you know me, then?"

He watched as her hands dug into the small rocks tightly. A single tear fell onto her skin. "I know you because…I know you because…" She couldn't decide. Should she tell him the truth? What other option was there? Lie? What would she say? There was no way she would pass as someone from this world, not for a second, not even if she tried her very hardest. There's no way they would believe her. But could she really tell him that she knew him because he wasn't real, because he was a character in a book, a movie, one of the most successful pieces of literature in the history of her world? Her breathing became labored. Every second that passed was becoming painful, her throat clenching up and the corners of her vision fading to black.

"Gandalf," she gasped desperately, "I need...I need to talk to Gandalf!" She brought her shaking hands up to her face, hiding herself as tears slipped eagerly out.

Frowning, Legolas immediately scooped her up into his arms. He was sure now. This was no ploy. This woman was in some sort of trouble and an obvious state of shock. She needed help, and if it was Gandalf she required, he wouldn't hinder her. He hadn't yet filled the water pouches as he had initially intended, but he knew as he held the shaking girl that it could certainly wait. He noted, even in his disordered state, how incredibly light she was. It wasn't just because he was strong or accustomed to such work as lifting and carrying, but she was small. Not only was she short, just barely taller than the Dwarf, he'd wager, but she was drastically thin. Perhaps she'd been lost for quite some time?

He hurried back to the others, urging her quietly to stay awake; they'd be there soon. Gandalf would help her, and she would have water and food and any help they could offer. But when he reached the wizard, her eyes were closed, her eyelashes wet with tears as sobs continued to escape from her throat, her face still twisted in both panic and shock.

"What's this?" Gandalf mused, slowly removing the pipe from his mouth.

"This is Lady Arianna." Legolas wasn't exactly sure what to say. All he knew about the young woman in his arms was her name and the fact that something about her situation was terribly frightening to her. "She was by the river when I went to retrieve water. I don't know much, but when she found out where she was, she went into hysterics. She said she needed to speak with you."

"Did she indeed?" Gandalf asked. "She asked for me by name?"

"Yes. She knew my name, as well. She knew my name and my father's name; she knew that I was the Prince of Mirkwood."

"Lay her down here, my friend." Aragorn had lain out one of the thin blankets over a flat stretch. Legolas laid her down carefully, watching as she curled into herself as soon as she hit the ground.

Gandalf puffed thoughtfully on his pipe for a moment. "Did she say anything else?"

"I believe she's lost," Legolas offered, his brow furrowing. "Gandalf, she said she wanted to go home…to her own world."

This seemed to pique Gandalf's interest, and his eyebrows rose slightly. "Home to her own world?" He puffed on his pipe again, blowing out solid smoke rings. _So the Valar have offered another. How curious. _

"What do you make of it, Mithrandir?" Boromir struck in. "Surely this is some trickery. She must be a spy."

"No, Boromir," Gandalf refuted, shaking his head in light amusement. "She is certainly no spy. She is no more than a young girl, and we will know more when she awakens, but for the moment, I think we ought to let her rest. You did well to bring her here, Legolas. It would have been an unfortunate loss had the enemy found her first."

Gandalf closed the matter with those words, and the others went about their business. The Hobbits peered curiously from where they sat around the small cooking fire to the body on the ground and quickly forgot it once the food was ready. Lunch was taken, and the sun slowly sank beneath the mountains. Legolas put Arianna out of his mind to help Boromir and Aragorn train the Hobbits in combat, but as the moon crept into the sky and he took first watch, she began to occupy his thoughts once more. He listened for signs of danger as he watched her sleep curiously, and it was only when he woke Aragorn for shift change that he put his mind at momentary ease and drifted off to rest.

When Arianna awoke, she was stiff and achy all over. Shuffling sleepily, she noticed the scent of bacon in the air. She took a deep inhale, savoring the smell. It had been ages since she'd had bacon. It was delicious – the food of the gods, really – but it was so bad for her, and she couldn't really get over the fact that it had once been a pig's stomach. It wasn't that she was any sort of animal activist (though she certainly didn't endorse some of the cruelty animals faced in the process of becoming meals), it just sort of skeezed her out to know that whenever she was eating bacon, it was kind of like stabbing a pig and stripping pieces of its underbelly away for consumption. Wrinkling her nose, she shook away the thought; it was making her nauseated.

She instead turned her thoughts to the bizarre dream she'd had: a dream where she had landed in the middle of Eregion and encountered Legolas, who proceeded to tell her she had indeed been transferred to Middle Earth. The thought was thrilling and terrifying all at the same time. She had been a Lord of the Rings nerd since she was nine, when she had first picked up the books. Her collection included nearly every book Tolkien had penned concerning the magical land of Elves and Wizards and Hobbits, and she could recall many facts about it with the speed and accuracy of Google itself. Falling into Middle Earth would be amazing, getting to experience everything first hand. Then again, at the same time, being pulled into such an unbalanced and unfamiliar world would admittedly be terrifying.

Sitting up, she finally hauled her eyes open. The sun was bright overhead and she had to squint to let her eyes adjust. Underneath her was an itchy wool blanket; it was covering a flat patch of deadened earth, and rocks and hills and mountains surrounded her. From a distance, she could hear the babble of a river, and from somewhere very nearby, the chattering of several voices. Her eyes widened and she turned, spinning onto her knees and resting her weight on her hands, which she placed firmly in front of her to keep her balance. It hadn't been a dream. Not five feet away, nine people sat in a makeshift circle, eating and smoking and speaking sociably to each other.

"Some bacon, Mr. Frodo?"

"Thank you, Sam."

"Is there anymore?"

"A few pieces left for the lady."

"…Do you think she eats bacon?"

"Well, we'll find out when she wakes up. Until then, I'll be keeping hold of it so you two don't make off and leave her to starve."

"We wouldn't let her starve!"

"She's tiny! I bet she doesn't eat it."

Arianna stood, making her way quietly over to the group. Legolas had his back to her, but she could tell by the way he shifted slightly that he had heard her.

"Pippin's right," she offered quietly as she stood just outside their circle. Her left arm was tight against her side, and she held her elbow nervously. "I'm not very fond of bacon."

Almost immediately, she found herself under the scrutiny of nine pairs of eyes. They all held their own emotion: surprise, curiosity, suspicion, and in Gandalf's case, a slight sparkle of mirth. Her stomach started doing worried flip-flops as they all eyed her silently. It was unnerving to be studied so closely by people who could easily kill her if they didn't believe her story.

Gandalf was the first to speak up. "But you like apples, I'm sure. Come and sit."

Arianna tottered on shaky legs to an empty spot between Aragorn and Gandalf. She was handed a shiny, red apple and she nodded at Aragorn in thanks. She hesitated a moment before biting into it, the story of Snow White suddenly popping into her head. She shook away the ridiculous idea that it might be magically poisoned and bit into it. The taste exploded into her mouth; it was sweet and crisp, and it made her realize how hungry she really was. Now that she remembered falling into Middle Earth and having a veritable shitfit hadn't been a dream, she took the time to consider how long it had been since she'd eaten. It was dinner the night before she awoke by the river, at 6:45, if she remembered correctly. (It had consisted of a turkey sandwich and some strawberries for dessert.) That's an easy thirty hours, considering it must be at least 9 or 10 in the morning now.

Pippin looked up from his breakfast suddenly. "How did you know my name?"

Arianna paused, just as she was about to take another bite of her apple. She slowly brought it down, hanging her head to stare at it. She had expected the questions, just not so soon, not so blunt. But what could she do? This was the Fellowship; if she was going to get help from anyone, they (next to Elrond or Galadriel) were likely her very best bet.

"I know all of your names," she admitted shyly. Something heavy settled in her stomach. She did know all of their names. She practically knew all of their _lives_: much of their past, all of their future. Suddenly, she felt embarrassed. It was as if she had intruded on them in the most personal way. She couldn't stop herself, however. The word vomit that followed seemed to flow as naturally as the river.

"_Frodo the Ringbearer,  
Samwise the Brave,  
__Merry the light-hearted,  
__Pippin the knave.  
__Legolas, Elven-kin,  
__Gimli a Dwarf,  
__Strider, a Ranger out of the North.  
__Boromir, Gondor-bred,  
__Gandalf a wizard –  
__Could've turned anyone into a lizard!  
__This is the Fellowship, that of the Ring,  
__Strange to be sure, but a wonderful thing._"

"My, my," Gandalf laughed, "what a verse!" The rest of the Fellowship looked at him in surprise. He seemed to be the only one who wasn't unnerved by her well-informed rhyme. "Very enjoyable, indeed. Though I think, from now on, we should not speak about such things so openly." He gave Arianna a gentle, reprimanding look.

"Yes," she responded, flustered. "Of course." If there had been any of Saruman's spies about, she just clued them in on the entire plan of the Fellowship.

"Have you a verse about your own name?" Pippin asked with a grin. Interested as he was about how she knew his name, he had thoroughly enjoyed the limerick.

Arianna gave a small laugh. "No! There are no rhymes about me!"

"What is your name then, my lady? I shall make one for you!"

Arianna nearly choked. "My name is Arianna, but please, there's really no need to go singing about me!" She _really_ hoped he wouldn't. True to his promise, though, Pippin, with the help of Merry, began tossing ideas for rhymes back and forth.

"While the hobbits compose your verse," Gandalf began, "perhaps we can have a more serious talk about your situation." Arianna nodded. As confusing a conversation as it would be, she was eager for it. Gandalf would surely know how to send her home.

"Before we begin, let me ask you: are you familiar with a place called," Gandalf paused, recalling a word that sounded foreign on his tongue, "Pennsylvania?"

Arianna's eyes widened. "Pennsylvania?" she repeated. "Yes! Yes, that's a state not far from where I'm from!" Before she could ask him how he knew of it, he was nodding at her.

"I thought as much."

How would Gandalf know of Pennsylvania? Are the worlds not entirely separate, or has someone told him about it? Arianna's heart jumped into her throat. Her eyes widened as she stared at Gandalf, who had a knowing look on his face. "I'm not the first one?"

"No, you are not."

Arianna couldn't contain a grin. She wasn't the first! That meant that Gandalf had dealt with this situation before! She was absolutely sure he would know how to send her home!

"The other?" Arianna probed immediately. "Who was it? How did they get back?"

At this, Gandalf looked troubled. "I am afraid, Lady Arianna, that I must disappoint your expectations, for I do not know."

Arianna deflated immediately. "…What?" Her voice had dropped several notches, and it came out breathy, as if she'd just been punched in the stomach. Figuratively speaking, she had.

Gandalf pulled out his pipe and began smoking. Arianna suddenly remembered her own cigarettes, stuffed in her pocket against her hip. Twitchily, she moved her hand towards them. She was a smoker, but luckily, she had never been the kind of person to get addicted to things. She thought that a cigarette might be nice right about now, now that Gandalf had just crushed any hopes she had of getting home. But the deep melancholy that circled through her mind also seemed to dissipate the urge to smoke.

"The other," Gandalf began, "a young woman named Sara, arrived in Rivendell under the same remarkable circumstances as you have arrived here. As I hear it, she was found by a party of guards and taken immediately to Lord Elrond. Much like you, she wore strange clothes and had strange mannerisms, and she was very flustered to learn that she was in Middle Earth." Arianna fought the urge to roll her eyes. Flustered was an understatement. "Naturally, Lord Elrond questioned her, and even sought me out to consult on the matter. We were both baffled by her strange appearance." Gandalf's face became grave. "She was a sad girl; she had seen too much in her short life. I suppose the shock of traversing realities took its toll. The only thing Lord Elrond and I were able to conclude before we found her dead in her room, a mere three days after her arrival, was that she had been sent by the Valar. To what end, we were never to know."

Arianna blinked. "You mean she…killed herself?"

"I'm afraid so."

Arianna felt a strange compulsion to reassure Gandalf. "I won't kill myself." Maybe she needed to reassure herself. No. Arianna frowned, her face stern. She didn't need to reassure herself of anything. She would never throw away her life like that, even if it was confusing as shit. There was always something to live for.

"I am glad to hear it." Gandalf inclined his head. There was a lapse in conversation. Gandalf moved his gaze to the others. "Aragorn, Boromir, Legolas, it seems the hobbits have abandoned their rhyme. Why don't you use this time to teach them some swordsmanship?"

The three recognized the dismissal and turned towards the rest of the company.

"Now you're going to ask me how I knew about the Fellowship," Arianna whispered, focusing very intently on her twiddling thumbs.

"I am quite curious."

Arianna felt no need to lie to Gandalf, but she was sure the truth would be difficult for him to swallow. Or maybe it wouldn't. Maybe he would take it with good graces. He was a wizard, after all; he was privy to some pretty cosmic shit. "You'll think it's strange," she said anyway. "It might be hard to believe." When Gandalf said nothing to that, she heaved a heavy sigh.

"Imagine…a history book." Yeah, that was a good way to start. "Except not." And a good way to confuse someone. "I knew about Legolas, about you and the Fellowship – this entire world, because I read it in a book. Back in my world, Middle Earth isn't real." She brought her eyes up to him, feeling her throat tighten. "You aren't real. None of you are. Back where I'm from, this is just a story, the product of someone's imagination. It's an epic fantasy, a story of Frodo and his…" Arianna paused, remembering Gandalf's warning about speaking so openly. "…and his journey."

Gandalf stared long and hard at her, taking in what she said. Then, slowly, he asked, "I assume that you've read this story in its entirety?"

Arianna nodded, shrinking. "Yes."

"Then you know the fate of this Fellowship, perhaps even, the fate of Middle Earth."

Again, she hung her head and answered in a quiet voice, almost ashamed. "Yes."

Gandalf didn't say anything for a moment. The seconds of silence seemed to tick by, each of them feeling like hours to Arianna. She picked at her fingers nervously, biting the inside of her lip as she felt her heart hammer.

"The Valar have strange intentions, indeed." When he finally spoke, it was in a light tone. Arianna brought her eyes up slowly, and realized Gandalf was giving her a gentle smile. "It would be best if you kept your knowledge to yourself, I think."

"Wait! You mean you believe me?"

Gandalf nodded. "I do. But I must impress upon you the seriousness of your situation. You were brought to this world for a purpose, Lady Arianna, and that alone makes you very extraordinary."

Arianna nodded. She didn't have a damn clue what her purpose was, and she doubted that she was extraordinary, but she nodded nonetheless.

"It would be best for you to accompany us to Lothlórien. From there, we can consult with the Lady of the Woods and get word to Elrond in Rivendell. Their sight extends farther than mine; perhaps they can be of assistance."

Again, Arianna nodded. Several things flashed through her mind at once: the mountain, the mines, the orcs, the Balrog, Gandalf falling. She would live the adventure together with the Company (if she survived the dangers) and then go to Lothlórien…to do what? Meditate with Galadriel about why she was here?

"And after we get to Lothlórien," she hesitated, "what will I do then? I mean, when the Fellowship leaves. Will I stay?"

"The choice is yours, I would say."

"All right." Arianna tried to sound resolute, but her voice broke with emotion. "All right," she repeated, nodding one last time.

"One last thing, my dear," Gandalf took on a grave look. "The knowledge you possess may feel like a blessing, but I must warn you: it does not give you power. While you are here, you should not tempt fate. Do not attempt to alter anything that is to happen."

This was easy enough. "I understand. Everything happens for a reason."

"Quite right."

The matter was settled with a few more words, and Gandalf introduced Arianna to the others as their new companion. Dusk was looming overhead and they all took a light supper. Something gnawed at Arianna's mind, though. Gandalf's warning wasn't one she was about to ignore; she wouldn't dare try to change what was supposed to happen – that would be mayhem. But the way he spoke, his voice low and somber, made Arianna wonder.

Did he know? Did he know he was the first to die?

* * *

I always use to read OC/Legomance stories where the girl felt the constant need to lie because of what she knew. For some of the stories, it worked well enough - there was a purpose behind it. But in most of the stories, the lie was irrelevant. It just made the main character seem untrustworthy to me. :\ Not that this is a self-insert in disguise, but if _I_ were to fall into Middle Earth and meet the Fellowship, _I_ wouldn't feel the need to lie to them; I really don't see the purpose. So, yes, Arianna told the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. :) And in got her into the group! Moral of the story? Lie bad. Lie bad for you. :D

Also, kudos to whoever the fuck _I. Salogel_ is for the wicked little rhyme that Arianna spouted out. That's definitely not mine, and I definitely do not claim to be able to rhyme so skillfully. You can see the original (or at least, where I found it) here, at the verrry bottom of the page: wiki/Fellowship_of_the_Ring

So, uh, I think that about wraps up chapter 2! :) As always, I'd love to know your thoughts. All forms of feedback are welcome! Thanks again for reading, and see you next tiiimme!


	3. Constellations

"_To our newcomers, welcome! To our old hands - welcome back!_" :) This is chapter three, ladies and gentlemen. Again, I am extremely grateful to everyone who has given this story the time of day. By my count, this story now has 9 alerts, 12 favorites, and - as we all know - 11 reviews, and for that I am truly honored! I don't really have much else to say yet, other than I hope you enjoy reading! :D

* * *

**3.**

"I apologize again."

"Don't sweat it, man. It's just a couple of scratches."

Arianna had a sleepless night. She'd spent much of those dark hours shivering violently. The blanket Aragorn had lent her to sleep on, she ended up using to sleep under, but it helped very little. She figured it must still be December here, and apparently in this world that meant the days were fair and the nights abysmal. Through heavy eyes, she admired the stars for long hours, just for something to do. She wondered if these were the same stars, the stars she was used to. She only knew two constellations (the Big and Little Dipper) and she hadn't been able to spot either.

Thinking of home had caused her some distress. She thought of everyone she had left behind: her family (though that was hardly a loss) and her friends. What would everyone think when they realized she was gone? Her parents would care, obviously, but only enough to report her missing to the police. There wouldn't be constant tears, and they certainly wouldn't go out themselves to search for her. Hers had never been a close-knit family; they would probably assume she ran away. But her friends were an entirely different story. Danny, Sebastian, Rem – they would have a fit. They would be angry, and they would search for her.

As soon as she realized they would never find her, she turned her thoughts immediately away from her world. It hurt, a lot more than she'd been allowed to express up until now. She had been so focused on everything else that she hadn't really had time to think about the fact that she was an entire reality away from her friends, her room, the life she knew. Even Gandalf didn't know how to send her home. Would she ever see it again?

When Gandalf roused them the next morning, Arianna was groggy. Her eyes drooped as she rolled up the blanket, offering it to Aragorn to pack. They would continue their journey today after a good meal; Arianna felt a bit guilty, because she was almost sure that she had held them up, if only for a day or two. After everyone had eaten, they began to pack. Arianna had nothing to pack, and since no one would accept any help she offered, she resigned herself to sitting idly on a rock while the boys gathered their things. Legolas was the first one to finish, and he had immediately made his way to Arianna after he had shouldered his bag. He had apologized, in a very proper (but sincere) tone, for attacking her and offered to clean her cuts before they set off. When Arianna had shrugged it off, he had frowned, insisting.

"They could get infected," he argued.

He now dabbed the last of the blood away. Whatever magical elf ointment he had used worked wonders. She was a strong girl – she could stand a few scrapes – but being strong enough to stand them didn't take away the discomfort they created. The cooling sensation brought on by the medicine was a welcome relief.

When Legolas had finished, he looked at Arianna for a moment; she thought that he might have wanted to say something. But he didn't. He offered her a small smile and stood, turning back to the others.

"I'm sorry I pulled your ear!" she blurted. She hadn't even thought about that moment until now, and she realized how crazy she must have appeared to him. He seemed to trust Gandalf's judgment, and whenever he looked at her, it was either with interest or a kind gentleness. There was none of the hostility or suspicion in his eyes that some of the Fellowship still held. Mainly, this referred to Boromir, but Sam wasn't quite right with her yet, either. She didn't know how Gimli felt about her; from what she gathered, he didn't talk much. Or at least, he hadn't since she'd shown up.

Looking back over his shoulder, he inclined his head toward her softly. "There is nothing to be sorry for, my lady."

"Are you sure?" Arianna felt bad. With the exception of a few minor cuts, he'd been nothing but kind to her. "It sounded like it hurt." As soon as she said it, she regretted it. She had meant it to be a completely innocent statement. She felt that yanking his ear probably hurt more than her few scratches. But as soon as it came out of her mouth, she realized how enfeebling it sounded. "Wait! I didn't mean it…like it sounded. I know you can handle it, I just, I know that elves' ears are sensitive, aren't they? I thought they were fake, so I figured, I mean, I just didn't think," Arianna realized she was babbling. "I, um. Nevermind." Arianna averted her eyes. Great. So much for trying to act smooth.

She worried her bottom lip as Legolas returned and knelt slowly in front of her. "Are you all right? I noticed you did not sleep well last night."

Oh, right. She had forgotten that elves didn't sleep either. He must have heard her tossing and turning. "I'm fine. I just had a lot on my mind, you know?"

"Yes, I understand. This all must be very strange for you. But do not let your heart be troubled. I have no doubt The Lady of Lórien will be able to help you."

Gandalf called them to continue their journey, so after Arianna gave Legolas a small smile in thanks, she stood and followed at the back of the Fellowship. She felt a little strange, suddenly travelling with all these people she didn't know. Well, know personally, that is. It was clear that Boromir, who glanced over his shoulder at her every so often, was still not pleased with her sudden appearance. She couldn't help but feel a little alienated.

They walked for some time, without much conversation. Merry and Pippin whispered to each other occasionally, mostly about food. Gandalf made brief comments to Aragorn about their route. Bill the pony snorted and shook his head on several occasions. And Boromir kept turning around to narrow his eyes at Arianna, who was quickly growing tired of it.

"Take a picture, it'll last longer!" she finally snapped when she caught him turning to glance at her again. She whipped her sunglasses off her face to glare at him, shoving them atop her head.

"I beg your pardon?" Boromir returned, wide-eyed.

"_I beg your pardon_," Arianna mimicked in a high voice. "Stop staring at me!"

Boromir's eyes tapered. "I was not staring."

Arianna rolled her eyes. "Not staring, right. I suppose you just have a nervous twitch, then?"

"It is no crime to keep an eye on the back of our company. Enemies can come from anywhere. I would not expect a woman to understand."

Arianna's temper flared. "Excuse me?" She cracked her knuckles. "I'll show you an enemy, you pompous piece of–"

"Arianna!" Gandalf's powerful voice stopped Arianna in her tracks as she was making her way towards the Gondorian. Reluctantly, she unclenched her fists and looked to the head of the line, where Gandalf was frowning at the both of them. "To the front of the company, please."

"Why?" Arianna snapped back. "So he can stare at my ass, too?"

"Now!" Gandalf barked. Arianna jumped a little. She had forgotten Gandalf could be extremely grumpy when given cause.

Giving one last withering look to Boromir, she shoved passed him, muttering angrily as she did so: "Dick."

She planted herself huffily by Gandalf, folding her arms. He was leaning on his staff with both hands, staring down at her with scolding eyes. Guiltily, Arianna relaxed her posture a bit. "He started it," she offered meekly.

"I do not care who started it, child." Arianna prickled at being called a child, but she realized it was true to an extent. Compared to Gandalf, she must nothing more than an infant. Also, she couldn't remember the last time she'd used the 'he started it' argument. Arianna dropped her sunglasses back over her eyes and sulked quietly.

So they continued on. Arianna quickly got tired of the flat country, and she grew extremely tired of tripping on rocks and small branches. She couldn't begin to imagine how many miles they'd gone in the few hours they'd been walking, but it felt like hundreds. Her feet were sore in her cropped slouch boots. Looking down, she frowned. They weren't exactly the height of comfort, and they weren't made for traipsing over entire landscapes.

"Hey, Gandalf, why does no one live here anymore?" Arianna was sick of all the silence.

"They moved on," Gandalf offered simply. "Long ago, this land was inhabited by Elves. Lord Celeborn and Lady Galadriel ruled for a time, before they moved on to Lothlórien. Afterwards, this land, like many, fell to the power of the Dark Lord, and was virtually destroyed. Those who survived took refuge in other Elven cities."

"They never came back?"

"It was a great battle. Many of the cities the Elves built here were entirely destroyed. Would you have returned?"

"I dunno," Arianna kicked away a small rock. "I mean, if there was no danger, why not? This was their home…"

"I would not try to understand the minds of Elves if I were you, lassie." Gimli let out a chuckle from beside her. It was the first time he'd spoken to her (or even acknowledged her presence at all). She stifled a laugh as Legolas turned sharply to glare at the Dwarf.

"Do not mind him, Lady Arianna. Your intelligence far exceeds that of a Dwarf. I'm sure you will be able to understand our motives well enough."

Gimli rumbled beside her irritably. Again, Arianna choked back a laugh. "Then what were your motives? Or, their motives? Why didn't they come back?"

"Elves are immortal beings," Legolas began. "We do not see things as Men do. It is natural to have a strong love for the land in which you were raised, but Elves do not linger on such emotions as homesickness. Our lives are too long. We enjoy to live anywhere we can find peace and good earth."

"Like a hobbit!" Arianna exclaimed with a laugh. "Peace, and quiet, and good tilled earth! Isn't that right, Sam?" She turned with a smile to the small hobbit that was leading Bill along steadily. Sam faltered at hearing his name and looked up, surprised.

"That's right, my lady." He seemed to incline his head a bit, and Arianna felt that she suddenly had another person on her side. Maybe not completely, but she was certain Sam was more keen on her than he had been seconds before.

Arianna turned back around, pleased with herself. "I would live here," she announced, clasping her hands behind her back as she padded slowly along. "It's a nice place, really quiet and pretty."

"You would live in a barren land, lass," Gimli said in return. "Doesn't look like anything's grown here since his kind left." Gimli nodded slightly towards Legolas.

"The Dwarf is right," Gandalf said. "There is nothing here to be lived off of."

Arianna frowned. "Except land," she retorted. "I'm sure if someone came back and lived here, they could nurture the land back into something beautiful."

"You forget this land's dark past. This land has many ruins and many scars."

Arianna frowned even deeper. Was everyone here a pessimist? "Scars remind us where we've been," she said bravely, quoting something she'd heard once. "They don't have to dictate where we're going. I think this place could be beautiful again."

Gandalf chuckled a bit. "My, you are quite the poet, aren't you?"

Arianna shrugged and said no more. Everything around her felt alive, thriving. The grass may be dead in the winter, but she could see that it was strong. The river that they'd left behind was clean and rushing. The terrain was flat, wide open. It seemed like an ideal place to build a community. Of course, that was the 21st century in her. Maybe here it was different. Here they must value mountains and high ground for their cities; it gives them better advantage.

They stopped for a short spell to have lunch. Arianna was glad for the break. She wasn't used to walking so much, and she flopped down on the ground in relief, rubbing her sore calves. Her legs were burning from ankle up, and she could feel a light sheen of sweat on her face. Gagging to herself, she did her best to dab it off with the sleeve of her shirt. She untied her hair and fixed it up a bit, trying to tame the flyaway strands.

"Water?"

Arianna looked up to see Aragorn kneeling in front of her, offering her a water pouch. She took it gratefully. "Thank you."

"We had a few spares, so that one is yours. Drink what you need, but take mind that we may not be able to refill them for a while yet."

"Drink sparingly," she repeated. "You got it, dude." She tipped the pouch at him and took a swig. The water was surprisingly cool.

Arianna wasn't sure what it was about the situation, but all of a sudden, things became much more real. Several very important things came to mind all at once: (1) She was in Middle Earth, (2) she did not know how or why, (3) she was travelling with the Fellowship into what she knew was certain danger, and her only background in self-defense was a sharp tongue, and (4) she had not shaved in two days. Idly, she ran her palm along her bare forearms, feeling the stubble and frowning. Was it any use, wondering how she got here? Was it any use wishing to go home? There was a grand possibility that she might die if she weren't careful. There was also a possibility that her appearance in this world might alter something drastically.

"How did you know?"

Arianna jumped. While she was lost in her thoughts, Aragorn had moved off, and Frodo had taken a place beside her quietly. The hobbit was looking at her: not curious and not accusing, just looking.

"Know what?" Arianna asked.

"About the Fellowship."

Arianna assumed what he really meant was, "_How the fuck did you know I was the Ringbearer?_" She didn't blame him for wanting to know. There were so few people he could trust now, and a strange girl appearing out of nowhere who knew about his biggest secret was likely very unsettling to the poor hobbit.

Arianna would have to choose her words carefully. Gandalf had told her not to tell anyone about what she knew. She understood why: people would start to ask her questions, put pressure on her, make her lay out the trials and detail how to overcome them. She didn't want that.

"Some elves have the gift of foresight," Arianna said slowly. "It's kind of like that." She didn't expand, and Frodo didn't ask her to. He seemed to accept her answer. Perhaps he believed her, or perhaps he was relying on the fact that Gandalf trusted her. Whatever the case, she clutched him around the shoulders, giving him a squeeze. "You're strong, Frodo. You're stronger than you could ever know. Don't forget that."

Frodo was quiet for a moment. Arianna kept her arm around his shoulders. She didn't really know why she was doing it. Comfort, maybe, although she admitted to herself that maybe it wasn't that comforting getting a one-armed hugged from a complete stranger who knew secrets about you. In fact, when she put it that way, it was quite creepy.

She removed her arm.

Frodo stood and then turned to her. "Thank you," he said quietly. And then, to Arianna's genuine surprise, he added, "I, um, meant to tell you. Your hair…" he trailed off, mumbling something Arianna didn't hear.

"What?" she asked frantically, grabbing up at her hair. "There's not a bug, is there?"

Frodo shook his head. "No. You hair, it's nice." And then he scurried away back to the fire, where Sam had just finished the sausages. Before she could even make sense of what he'd said, though, she had another visitor.

"If you don't get to the food soon, there will be none left." Legolas appeared with a plate of dry fruits. There were some berries and another apple. "You mentioned you did not like meat?" Arianna nodded, realizing suddenly the plate was for her. He was holding it out to her, and she took it gratefully. "May I sit?"

"Whatever blows your dress up."

"…This is a tunic."

"It's an expression. Sit down."

Legolas did, and he watched Arianna quietly for a moment. "What you said to the hobbit was very kind."

_Goddamn elf-hearing. _"It was just the truth."

"I found what you said about elves to be very interesting, as well."

This time she said it out loud: "Goddamn elf-hearing."

Legolas narrowed his eyes slightly. "Is it proper in your world for a lady to speak as you do?"

"It's proper in my world for a lady to do what she damn well pleases."

Legolas took that in stride. "You needn't lie to me. Gandalf spoke with you alone, but as you so boorishly pointed out, I was able to hear what you told him."

So Legolas knew that in her world this was all fake. No big deal. "Did you just call me boorish?"

Legolas nodded, smiling. "I'm afraid I did."

"Isn't it like, a sin in this world to insult a lady?"

"It is very improper," he admitted, "but I have a sneaking suspicion that you do not mind, _my lady._"

Arianna chewed thoughtfully on some kind of berry. It was deep blue in color, a wonderful maroon on the inside. To be honest, it looked kind of poisonous, but it tasted nice. Arianna decided that she did, in fact, not mind at all. She knew she was a bit boorish: she did speak crudely sometimes, and she was admittedly abrasive when it came down to some things. In this world, that was more than enough to be labeled boorish, especially if you were a woman. Besides, she'd definitely been called worse.

"It's true what you said, then? That our world…" Legolas trailed off. His brow furrowed, and his lips became tight.

He was handsome. Arianna wasn't about to deny that, though she assumed all Elves were handsome like Legolas. She imagined he was exactly how Tolkien had described all elves: tall and slender, but incredibly strong and sturdy. He was graceful in both appearance and balance, and his face was sharp and clean, yet very soft. There was something strangely comforting in his eyes, an unfailing calm. She noticed that, even now, as his face twisted, it did not disappear completely.

"Yes." Arianna hadn't thought about what this must be like for the Fellowship, not really. Strange, sure. Unnerving, probably a little. But how did it really affect them? Most of them now knew that she was from a different world, and she was sure those who didn't would learn sooner or later. Just as it was for her, it was probably shocking to everyone (except Gandalf, perhaps) to learn of the existence of an entirely different world. No less shocking to learn that they were characters in a popular story in that world. "Yes, it was completely true."

"It's very strange," Legolas responded, lacing his fingers together in thought.

Arianna scoffed. "Yeah, you're telling me." She ran her hands up her forearm again, frowning. Arianna would be the first to admit that she was a bit vain. Back in her world, she had never gone a day without shaving. She didn't know what it was really; she had always just had a strong dislike for body hair of any kind. She had shaved every day in her world, and now, she didn't know if she would be able to shave ever again. The thought made her heart sink.

The two of them fell quiet, and they both watched as Boromir took Merry and Pippin to do swordplay. The hobbits were surprisingly quick learners. They were both blocking swings and throwing light thrusts, taking Aragorn's advice when he told them through a pipe to move their feet.

"Oh, shit." The words slipped out of Arianna's mouth before she could stop them.

"What is it, Lady Arianna?"

The hobbits and Boromir fell into a scuffle, and Aragorn soon found his way into it as well. His apple rolled away as the hobbits pulled his feet out from under him and tipped him onto his back. They all wrestled for a moment in the dirt before standing, laughing and breathing heavily. Arianna stood too, turning and searching the skies.

"What's that?" Sam had spotted them first. His hobbit eyes were sharper than Arianna's.

She felt her heartbeat pick up, and her throat went dry. She wasn't scared, really. It was more of a panic that shot through her entire body. She knew that the Crebain saw them, despite the company's attempts to hide, and she knew that she shouldn't be scared of the crows, because they wouldn't attack, but for some reason, she felt frozen. It all became very real again: these were enemies.

"Crebain from Dunland!"

"Hide!"

They all scrambled. The fire was doused; things were collected, rolled up and away and stuffed into bags. The hobbits dove under bushes and the others behind rocks and in whatever crevice they could. Legolas grabbed Arianna by the wrist and sprinted them over to a small overhang that was draped in a curtain of moss. It was just big enough for the two of them. Legolas ushered Arianna under the rock and then fitted in himself, filling the small space with body heat and the scent of leaves. Arianna was snugly against the rock with Legolas in front of her, his keen eyes narrowed through the moss at the birds that were now circling overhead. She stood very still, and tried to breath quietly through her nose. For some reason, she was shaking.

The squawks of the birds circled above their heads once more, and then slowly, they began to fade. They flew away almost as quickly as they had come, off to carry their message to Saruman. One by one, the Fellowship began to creep out of their hidey-holes. Legolas pushed back the green curtain and stepped out lithely. Arianna followed him as he held the foliage for her, and she planted two uncertain feet back onto the dirt.

"I'm sorry!" Arianna blurted out immediately, trying to tame her tremors. "I'm sorry, I just kind of froze, and–"

"It's all right, Lady Arianna." Legolas placed a hand on her shoulder to quiet her babbling. He had a very serious look on his face, but he did not look angry. As he glanced up to they sky, he let her go.

"Spies of Saruman," Gandalf announced as he climbed down from hiding. "The passage South is being watched. We must take the pass of Caradhras!"

_I can't believe I didn't hide sooner! I just stood there like an idiot! What must they think of me? Gandalf and Legolas especially! I knew they were coming; I should have been the first to dive under a rock! And I just stood there! _

"Lady Arianna,"

Arianna snapped out of her mental barrage and looked up. "Are we going now?"

"No, I don't believe so." Legolas smiled a little, gesturing toward her. "But there is a spider crawling on your arm."

Arianna tensed, her entire body going stiff. Every muscle in her seemed to coil into a tight spring. "Get it off," she whispered through gritted teeth. "Get it off get it off get it off please get it off oh my god I'm going to cry please get it off."

Legolas laughed charmingly, stretching a hand forward and coaxing the thing onto his palm. It scuttled around as he moved to place it back on the rock, where it crawled away into the dark. Slowly, Arianna unwound. She heaved out a heavy sigh, her muscles shaking.

"Thank you," she whispered. Her body gave a great shiver. "Ugh, those things are so disgusting!"

"You would not enjoy my homeland, then."

"Mirkwood? Oh, fuck no. I would not set foot in that forest unless I were asleep from heavy drugs and under the protection of the finest fighters in this world and there was absolutely zero percent chance that I would see one of those monsters."

"Afraid of a spider?" Boromir broke into the conversation as he passed. He was rearranging his bag, which was askew due to some hasty packing. "How like a woman."

"Go blow yourself," Arianna articulated quite impassively. She was in no mood to deal with his sexism. She wondered for a brief moment if he even understood that insult. Was "blow yourself" a colloquialism in Middle Earth?

As he walked away, Legolas spoke again. "He distrusts you, but you should not take it personally."

"Oh, it's not his distrust that I take personally. Really, it's the fact that he's a sexist pig that bothers me." She pronounced the words 'sexist pig' very clearly and with a bit more force than the rest of her sentence. She watched as Boromir's back tensed for a moment, but he kept walking and didn't retaliate.

For the first time in a few days, Arianna pulled out her cigarettes. She had one pulled out and burning before she turned to Legolas to await his response.

The moment she saw the surprise on his face, she knew why it was there. Biting the cigarette in between her teeth, she quirked her mouth. She pulled the lighter from the carton where she had thoughtlessly replaced it moments before.

"My magic stick of fire," she explained, abashed. It had been entirely by impulse that she'd pulled it out in front of him. She was so used to it, she had forgotten it was nothing short of unfathomable in this world. "Not to sound pretentious, but we're a bit more advanced in my world." She flicked the lighter on and saw the reflection of the fire in his eyes as they literally lit up with wonder.

"Your world must truly be a marvelous place," Legolas admitted after a pause.

"It has its moments."

Conversation stalled and it was only a few minutes before Gandalf called the company to start moving again. They had to begin making their way to the mountain as soon as they could. Arianna tried to take up the back of the line after she stomped out her smoke, but Gandalf gave her a very pointed look as he passed her. Shuffling forward a few spaces, she ended up behind Merry and Pippin, who were talking some nonsense about some people back in the Shire. There wasn't really much to do to pass the time, until Gimli made his way over to her. He wasn't half bad, now that he was talking to her. He entertained Arianna with tales of his home and funny stories of his Dwarf friends. She learned a great deal about what Dwarves like to eat and drink and do in their spare time. (There was very little spare time as it turned out; mostly you were either working or eating or sleeping. But when there was spare time, it was spent in small rooms gathered with your friends, where you sang songs and examined jewels.)

By nightfall, they were at the very base of the mountain, and Arianna was exhausted. They had dinner, in which the hobbits regaled them with some of the finer dinnertime songs from the Shire and Gimli ached for a "good strong drink." And just as it was the night before, Arianna sat alone while the others prepared for bed. Gandalf took first watch, and Aragorn offered Arianna the blanket again. She wrapped it around her shoulders as she huddled around the small campfire, wishing that she had more layers. It was even colder here at the base of the mountain, and her entire body trembled. When she looked up to the sky, she was reminded of her favorite book.

"_My thoughts are stars I can't fathom into constellations…_"

In that moment, she became aware of how charismatic Augustus Waters must have felt: confused, helpless, longing for some way to make sense of a world not meant to be understood. In that moment, she was painfully aware of what John Green had in mind when he had titled the book. As she lay down, she whispered quietly to herself:

"There is no shortage of fault to be found amid my stars…"

* * *

I would apologize for the _TFiOS _references if I was at all sorry. xD

That being said, I'd like to bring up just a few points:

_First_, if this chapter read a bit schizophrenically to you, then congratulations! It was supposed to. :) Arianna is going through a pretty tough time right now, and this chapter was a bit stream-of-consciousness. Her thoughts are jumping all around, and it can be hard to control and make sense of them, like she points out there at the end.  
_Second, _I realize that I haven't really put a disclaimer to this story yet. I always find disclaimers to be a bit redundant, because of course I'm not Tolkien and I'm not rich enough to own the rights to _LotR_. Regardless, I would like to point out that I don't own it, and I am making no money off this story. It is purely for entertainment purposes, and I do hope its doing its only job. :)  
_Third_, Because I just gave _LotR_ a disclaimer, I am obligated to follow through. I also do not own _The Fault in Our Stars_. That belongs to the lovely and talented John Green. I will, however, take this opportunity to tell you that if you have not read this glorious book, you REALLY SHOULD. It is an _amazing_ book, and you_will_ love it.

Well. I believe that's everything for now. Let me know what you thought - I would love to hear from you! Good or bad, I would love to know what you think! I encourage criticism and your proofreading; if there's any mistake you notice, let me know and I will fix it post haste! (I do proofread myself, but it's often at midnight when I'm slightly off it, so there's always a possibility I missed something. xD) As always, thanks for reading, and more to come soon! :D


	4. Rousing Piggyback Ride

Oh my word. You guys. :) The amount of attention this story is getting is truly blowing me away! I never expected so many alerts and favorites. And the reviews! 19 reviews for 3 chapters? And they are all so sweet! :3 That's truly amazing, and I am thankful for each and every one! I am so happy and so glad that you are all enjoying the story! I'm trying very hard not to let you down with the chapters. We're getting close to some action soon, so hopefully you all are able to bare with me for a little while longer. Trust me, the story is about to pick up in some interesting ways! :D But anyway, more on that when we get there! Here's chapter 4, and I hope you enjoy it!

* * *

**4.**

Arianna drug herself up once again, wiping her face frantically as bits of snow clung to her frozen eyelashes.

She had lost count of the number of times she had toppled over since they began their long trek up the side of the mountain. It had been fine at first. The snow was just a few inches, and Arianna had tottered over it well enough, slipping around a bit but always catching herself. The further up they went, however, the deeper the snow grew. Arianna was forced to take heavy, giant steps, lifting her knees ridiculously, just to be able to move through it. She had even lost a shoe at one point; it had been suctioned clean off her foot when she had tried to lift it from where it was buried underneath the ice. Putting it back on, soaked and saggy and freezing as it was, had been unpleasant.

To add to her growing frustration, she was also in trouble with Gandalf again. About halfway up the bottom of the mountain, Frodo had fallen and the Ring had slipped off his neck. It was another familiar sight to Arianna, and she had quickly slipped her way to the back of the line to yank the chain out of Boromir's hand. ("Give me that!") She had barely returned it to its proper place around Frodo's neck when Gandalf had bellowed at her again, demanding her to move further up the line and then scolding her for "being rash." She didn't think yanking the Ring out of Boromir's grasp was that rash, and she highly doubted shortening his time with the Ring would change anything, but Gandalf seemed to think it was very poor judgment on her part.

Arianna's least favorite feeling in the world was being cold. There was nothing about it she liked: it certainly wasn't comforting, and Arianna put no stock whatsoever in any of that "it makes me feel alive" bullshit. Being cold sucked. Period. So as she wrapped her arms around herself once more, she cursed Caradhras and the snow and also Legolas for being able to fly across the top of the drift like he weighed about as much as a leaf. She was thigh-deep in snow, which meant more than half of her body was covered. Her legs were wet and both her shoes had soaked through. If the snow went any higher, it would soon cover her shorts, and then she'd really be screwed. It was one thing for her shoes to be wet, but if any of her clothes got soaked – she didn't even want to think about it.

She almost wished that they could turn straight back around and go right into the mines. Then again, the more she thought about it, the more she dreaded it. Going into the mines meant both facing the Watcher in the Water and the Goblins in Balin's tomb. Arianna had been thinking about this for a while. Going into the mines meant she would witness the first real fights the Fellowship had to overcome. What was she to do? If it came down to it, she could probably beat a Goblin in a game of insults, but if she really had to protect herself, she wasn't so sure she would win. With the very valid exception of kicking the little fuckers where all males are weak, she had no idea how to fight. At this, Arianna frowned. She always talked so big back in her world where it didn't matter. She had never had to defend herself, really, and any time she might have had to, Danny, Sebastian, and Remy had been there to do it for her. Here in this world, she had to rely on herself.

_Maybe I could grab an old sword from one of the dead things in the mines? _Arianna wondered nervously. She didn't particularly like the idea of grave robbing (even if it was a Goblin), and she didn't like the idea of touching something that something dead had held, but it seemed like her only option. _At least then I'll have _something_ to protect myself with. _She knew there was far more to swordsmanship than swinging the weapon around and hoping you hit, but for someone like her, swinging would have to do.

She fell into the snow again.

Much to her surprise, a strong pair of arms picked her up beneath her arms and hauled her to her feet. Blinking away the snow and ice, she shook her head. That wasn't right. The only person behind her was Boromir. Turning, she saw that he was standing behind her, looking quite stony. They both stared at each other for a moment. Arianna wasn't sure what to make of it. Maybe it was just his medieval-man chivalry that had driven him to help her?

"Thanks," she muttered, picking a strand of hair off her face. It, also, had grown heavy and wet with all the snow she'd introduced it to.

Boromir gave a curt nod and Arianna turned again, trudging on. Arianna felt something swirl in her stomach. She knew Boromir wasn't all bad. He was susceptible to the Ring; she supposed that was enough to make one a little irritable. But she also knew that sexism had nothing to do with the Ring's power. But couldn't his distrust be leading him to say things he doesn't believe? Should she try to be nicer to him? Arianna frowned. This is why she hated dealing with people, boys especially. People were so damn difficult.

"Are you a wizard?"

Arianna choked. "What?" she laughed.

Pippin turned again from his spot in front of her. "Are you a wizard, like Gandalf?" He was worse off than Arianna was. She stood at an overpowering 5-foot-3, and she knew the hobbit to be about 3-foot-6. The snow was up to his shoulders, and he was schlepping along by shoving the snow out of his way should his arms and hands.

"No, Pippin," she grinned. "I am not a wizard like Gandalf. I'm just a girl."

"Are you a magic girl, then?" Pippin continued. He gave her a funny look. "We heard when you told Gandalf you were from a different land."

"Err." Arianna wasn't quite sure what to say to that. Was it magic? Did it count if she wasn't the one performing it? She didn't know. "No, I don't think I'm magic. At least, if I wanted to turn you into a toad, I wouldn't know how." Arianna grinned again as Pippin's eyes widened.

"Well, that's good," he laughed nervously. "I don't think I'd like to be a toad." Arianna just smiled, and when she didn't say anything in return, Pippin continued talking. "How old are you, my lady?"

"Oh, me?" Arianna was glad to be talking to someone. Although it was very little comfort to her shaking body, it did take her mind off the cold momentarily. "I'm twenty."

"Twenty? But you look so young!"

"I'll take that as a compliment."

"So what did you do in your land? If you're twenty, you must be married by now."

At this, Arianna let out a loud laugh, her fingers finding their way up to hide her smile. "Oh, my god, you must be joking! Married? Hell no! I was a full time student with a part time job; I didn't have the time or patience for boys!"

"Wait, you mean you worked?"

"Yes, Pip. At a…er, clothing shop." She had really worked at her local mall, but she doubted Pippin would understand that.

"You made clothes?"

"No, I sold clothes."

"Who made them?"

"I don't know, somebody in China, I suppose."

Pippin looked entirely confused. "What's China?"

"A land where I'm from."

"What's it like?"

"I dunno, I've never been."

"Then how did you get the clothes from China?"

"Someone else brought them."

"Who?"

"Jesus, Pippin, the exporters! I don't know! I didn't work in logistics!" Hobbits were insatiable in their questions; they were like children.

Arianna fell in the snow again. This time, she stayed down, fully irritated and grinding her teeth in pain. She could feel a throbbing in her left cheek, and she was pretty sure she had hit a hidden rock. She blew out an angry breath through her nose. Her motivation had flown the coop, and she did not intend on pulling herself up or continuing to walk in this hell. But again, as she lay there pouting, she felt Boromir haul her up and set her firmly on her feet. Standing, she folded her arms and scowled petulantly.

"Are you all right?" Pippin asked, staring back at her. He looked surprised.

"I'm fine!" Arianna resigned herself to dusting off her face again. When she wiped at the left side, though, she flinched. "Ow," she complained lightly, pulling her hand back. Mixed with the small bits of ice that stuck to her fingers was the slightest streak of red. "Well, fuck."

"You've scratched yourself," Boromir pointed out. "What did you hit?"

"I don't know," Arianna declared, exhausted. "A rock or something. It's no big deal." Now that her face wasn't buried in snow, it hurt a little more, but it was still only a gentle throb. She must have fallen on it just hard enough to break the skin, which wasn't detrimental.

"Let me see," Boromir insisted. He turned her face so that he could see the cut, and Arianna quirked her eyebrows.

"Bro, it's just a scratch. Calm down."

"Just a scratch?" Boromir repeated. His eyes had gone wide. "Mithrandir!" He unshouldered his bag and began digging through it. Gandalf, pushing his way through the snow with his staff, wandered up.

"She says it is but a scratch," Boromir offered as way of explanation, nodding his head in Arianna's direction.

Gandalf's eyes narrowed as he took in Arianna's face. Arianna narrowed her own eyes right back. "What?" she asked. "Don't glare at me! I fell over, okay? It's no big deal! I can barely feel it."

"That is precisely the problem, child."

Arianna blinked curiously. What did that mean? Suddenly, she felt dribbling warmth on the side of her face. Bringing her hand up again, she touched her cheek, only to find her fingers slick with blood. Her eyes widened and Boromir quickly wiped her hand clean before moving to her cheek. The small cloth he dabbed her face with came back with a large bright red stain on it, the length of her hand.

"What the?"

"You are underdressed," Gandalf said plainly as he lifted a blanket from Boromir's pack. "Tell me, can you stop shivering?"

Arianna had nearly forgotten about her shaking, but now that Gandalf reminded her, she realized it had gotten quite bad. But as much as she tried, she couldn't stop the tremors. Frowning, Arianna shook her head. Gandalf held the blanket out to her.

"Put this round your shoulders." Arianna did so, suddenly aware of her predicament. The numbness to her body, particularly her face, her constant stumbling, and her inability to stop shivering: _hypothermia_. Mild, as she could still move and perform basic motor functions, but it was definitely setting in. "The snow gets deeper further up. Even the hobbits will have trouble continuing."

Boromir had patched up Arianna's cheek with a mild salve and some kind of cloth that was taped with itchy adhesive. "What will we do, Mithrandir?"

Gandalf seemed to think for a moment. "They shall have to be carried until the snow thins."

A violent shiver wracked Arianna, and she wrapped her arms around herself. Gandalf directed the group around for a few moments, ordering Boromir to take Merry and Pippin and Aragorn to look after Frodo and Sam. And then, to her surprise, Gandalf ordered Legolas to look after her.

"What?" Arianna squawked immediately. "You want him to carry me?"

"You cannot walk in the snow as you are," Gandalf said sternly. "You will be carried or you will be left to catch your death of cold."

"Well when you put it that way," Arianna grumbled quietly to herself. She unwound the blanket from around her and offered it back to Boromir.

He shook his head. "Keep it," he returned shortly. He went off to gather Merry and Pippin.

Arianna turned to Gandalf. "The fuck happened to him?" His sudden geniality was disconcerting, to say the least. "Is he, like, bipolar or something?"

"You understand very little about the manners in our world. Despite the distrust he has for you, you are a woman, and it would be dishonorable if he were not to help you."

"So he's being nice to protect his own pride? That's comforting."

"Do not be so brash! Perhaps if you tried to be less hostile, you two would not fight." Arianna opened her mouth to respond, but Gandalf held up a hand. "Enough, we need to move on. There is much mountain still to conquer."

Legolas stepped up beside her. There was an awkward silence in which Arianna pondered the pros and cons of the situation. Pros: She got to be carried by a mildly attractive man, it would probably warm her up, and Legolas was good for conversation that didn't include the question 'Why?' ten times. Cons: It was awkward as fuck. As far as Arianna could count, that really was the only con, but it nearly outweighed all the pros. Nearly.

"So," Arianna began, clenching her eyes against another shiver. "How are we going about this? Bridal style, or are you going to give me a rousing piggy-back ride?"

"I thought you might be more comfortable on my back," Legolas responded. He didn't seem at all perturbed by the idea of carrying her. He removed the quiver from his back and handed it to her. "Can you wear this?"

"Can you show me how?" It looked ridiculously complicated as Arianna took it. It had buckles and straps crisscrossing and falling over each other. So Legolas strapped his quiver onto Arianna, and she felt increasingly awkward as things progressed. The quiver itself wasn't that long, but Arianna was short, and it hung much farther down on her than it did on Legolas. The straps weren't made for a woman ("Much less a woman of your size,") and Legolas had to tie much of the excess fastenings around her middle to even keep the thing from sliding off. When she was finally situated on Legolas's back, she felt bulky and uneven. The straps were pressed in between their bodies and the quiver knocked around on her back with every step he took.

But he was warm.

God was he warm. The velvet material of his tunic was soft and smooth against her cheek, and she hummed quietly as she laid her head gently on the back of Legolas's shoulder. She was still shaking lightly, and she tugged the blanket tighter around her shoulders. As awkward as it was, it was the most comfortable Arianna had been since coming to Middle Earth. For three nights now, she'd "slept" on the ground, with nothing but a flimsy blanket to comfort her. Leaning against Legolas, who held her easily and smelled like the forest in fall, was soothing. Remy had often given her piggyback rides back home; the familiar gesture was nice.

"Are you comfortable?"

Arianna's eyes widened. "Oh!" she exclaimed. "Yeah, sorry, I just, uh…" Her sentence trailed, and she mumbled. "Um, are you okay? I'm…not too heavy or anything am I?"

"Nonsense, my lady. You are as light as a bird." Legolas turned to study her. "How are you feeling?"

"Better," Arianna admitted, fighting off the urge to tighten her arms around his shoulders. "You're warm."

Legolas frowned, turning away. "I was very concerned for you when Gandalf announced we were to make our way up the mountain. You are not appropriately dressed. I feared something like this might happen."

"Something like this?" Arianna quoted. "You mean my scratch of hypothermia? Oh, geez, don't even sweat it. Er, not that you could, in this weather. But really. I may be a bumbling idiot who barely weighs a buck soaking wet, but I'm stronger than I look. A little cold isn't going to get the best of me."

Legolas shook with a chuckle. "You are truly a strange, Lady Arianna. I've never heard a woman speak such brazen words."

Arianna grinned. "Yeah, well, you'd better get used to it. Besides, I don't want to slow anyone down. If no one had carried me, I would have made it through the snow somehow."

"You wish to appear strong?"

"I wish to appear capable, _master elf_, because believe it or not, I am." _Capable enough at surviving, anyway. Fighting might be a whole different story. _"Women of my world are much more independent than they are here, and as you might be able to gather, I am an especially active example."

"I do not doubt it in the least," Legolas admitted. He paused for a moment and surveyed the mountain pass. "But, and I beg your pardon for speaking so frankly, perhaps there are things in this world that require a bit more capability than you possess."

Blinking, Arianna sighed, dropping her chin onto his shoulder. She could see the stretch of land in front of them: nothing but white, glistening snow. "You don't have to beg anything from me. I'll be the first to admit I'm not cut out for anything like this journey. I'm not used to sleeping on the ground or traversing entire landscapes in a day, and I certainly can't fight worth a damn." Arianna lowered her eyes. "I don't know what exactly I can do here, but I know I can do _something_. As long as I'm here, I might as well try to do some good, right? I'll do whatever I can to help Frodo."

Legolas turned in the slightest and regarded her for a moment. His eyes were warm and he seemed to look at her with respect. "If wars could be fought on will, my lady, then I would have you on the front lines."

Arianna's stomach flopped under his gaze. What was that look? She hadn't said anything _that_ spectacular. "Your princely charms are flattering." She rolled her eyes, trying to break the tension. She felt very naked all of a sudden. She had never really been one for serious talks; they always terrified her. Speaking of wars and fighting made her uneasy. "I really just meant that I could be the comic relief in this group of high-strung warriors." She flapped her wrist offhandedly in the direction of the company. "If nothing else, riling up Boromir makes me laugh." She grinned at him, trying to look convincing.

Legolas seemed taken aback at her sudden change in demeanor. "I do not believe that is what you meant in the least," he said quietly, turning back around. "But if you prefer I take it as such, I shall."

* * *

Arianna sulked, finally back on her own two feet. She folded her arms around her middle, desperate to keep in the last remaining bit of her warmth. She was grumpy and tired, and the gray walls that overpowered her vision did nothing to lift her spirits.

When Saruman's avalanche had hit, she had still been on Legolas's back. He had thrown the two of them against the side of the mountain to keep them from being carried off with the snow. It hadn't caused any real damage to either of them, but Arianna had come untangled as they attempted to dig themselves out. Legolas had literally saved her life when he caught her around her waist as she slid and slipped in the chunks, nearly going right over the edge. And then Frodo had decided that they were to go through the mines, and back down the mountain they had trampled. Arianna and the hobbits stuck to their carriers until the snow thinned out, and then she had been allowed to trip her way back down the mountain all by herself.

Arianna sat moodily on the ground. She had pulled herself into a tight ball, clutching her legs to her chest and pouting at the walls of the mines that loomed in the distance. They had stopped for the night. They would rest, and then by tomorrow night, they would be at the doors to the mines. Arianna knew that's when they would meet the Watcher. She frowned. How would she keep herself alive? I mean, five warriors – that was probably enough to keep her safe if she hid out and tried not to be conspicuous. But if something spotted her, the Watcher or a goblin, what would she do? She hated the idea of having to depend on the other's skills to protect her. Not only because it made her feel a little bit useless, but it also made her feel guilty, like a burden.

"_I'm not a fan of puppeteers, but I've a nagging fear someone else is pulling at the strings; something terrible is going down through the entire town, wreaking anarchy and all it brings. I can't sit idly – no, I can't move at all. I curse the name, the one behind it all!_" Arianna tapped her hand against her calf, singing quietly. It was her one small creature comfort, the only one she allowed herself. She couldn't carry a tune worth a damn, but music was a luxury that was always available.

She thought quickly before breaking into the chorus. She tweaked one little word, and the rest fell into place. "_Sauron, I'm howling at the moon and sleeping in the middle of a summer afternoon. Sauron, whatever did we do to make you take our world away? Sauron, are we your prey alone, or are we just a stepping-stone for taking back the throne? Sauron, we won't take it anymore, so take your tyranny away!_" She grinned. It was a fun little song, and it certainly took her mind off of more tiring matters.

"Curse you, child, can you not be silent?"

Arianna winced. "Sorry, Gandalf."

"You should not speak that name out loud!" He glowered at her from under his eyebrows and she glared at him.

"All right!" she snapped. "I know, okay? I get it! He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named." She wiggled her fingers around her head mystically, pulling a face. "It was just a song."

"You should not waste your time with songs. You should take some rest." He gave her a meaningful look. Clearly it was meant to say, '_You know you what's coming, so you need your strength._'

"Yeah, yeah," Arianna grumbled, burying her chin in her knees.

"I think your suggestion falls on deaf ears, my friend." Arianna turned to see Aragorn tread over to Gandalf and sit beside him. "If I am not mistaken, our young friend suffers from sleeplessness."

At this, Gandalf actually looked surprised. "Does she indeed?" He turned towards Arianna questioningly.

Arianna stretched out with a sigh. "Insomnia," she said quietly. "I've had it for four years. Back home, we have er, medicine that helps me get to sleep. But obviously, I don't have any with me." She shrugged. "So, no medicine, no sleep."

"You mean to tell me," Gandalf began, "that you have journeyed with us without sleep?"

"Well, not entirely. There was that night I passed out from shock, remember?" Gandalf gave her a wry look. "But other than that, no. I haven't slept."

"Well, it's a wonder you haven't collapsed!"

Arianna was about to object on the premise that she had actually collapsed plenty of times, but she decided against it. That hadn't been entirely from lack of sleep…

"Aragorn, I don't suppose you have a store of Valerian root on you?"

"I believe I might."

"Perhaps we should make a brew. If the young lady does not sleep, we will have to carry her all the way to Lothlórien!"

"Why won't you sleep?" Frodo piped in, meandering over. He was quiet and solemn as he sat himself beside Arianna. It was the first time they'd really spoken since he'd complimented her hair.

"I have insomnia. My body sucks at being a body, so I don't sleep very well."

"Oh, that's a shame," he said sadly.

"Tell me something I don't know," Arianna huffed, blowing a rogue strand of hair out of her face.

"…Once when I was a tween, a bat tried to make a home in my hair."

Arianna slapped a palm over her face. "That's charming, Frodo." Arianna gave a little laugh. "But it's just an expression."

"Oh." He looked embarrassed. "I'm sorry."

Arianna deflated. Now, on top of everything else, she felt guilty. "Don't be." She swung an arm around his shoulders. "I'm sure it was a sight."

"It was terrifying, actually." Frodo laughed a little. "It was dark the entire time, and its wings kept getting tangled in my curls."

"Horrific!" Arianna exclaimed, sharing in his chuckles. "Absolutely petrifying!" And it was. "If a bat tried to nest in my hair, I would probably cry."

"I do not think a bat would be drawn to your hair," Frodo judged. "It is much too bright."

At this, Arianna mocked a frown. "Well now, that's the true shame of the night. Bats aren't attracted to my hair. I'm a little offended."

"It's a strange color," Frodo continued. "But as I said, I like it." He seemed more at ease now, more comfortable. Arianna was glad. He had so much on his shoulders; it was good for him to have a laugh or ten along the way. "It reminds me of the summer sunset."

"Awe!" Arianna cooed and closed her arms tightly around the hobbit. "Frodo, that is so sweet!" Talking to the hobbit was lifting her spirits considerably. She became even more excited when Aragorn materialized in front of the two of them with a steaming cup of liquid.

"Drink this," he commanded, pressing it into her hands. She examined it closely. It was clear mostly, with maybe the barest hint of yellow-green. "I have boiled valerian root in water. This will help you sleep."

Arianna blinked at him, surprised. "No shit?" She'd never had a lot of success with herbal remedies back home. Prescription meds were her poison.

Aragorn nodded, resigning himself to her language with a sigh. "You should take it now, and try to get some rest. You should rest as well, Frodo. We have a long journey yet."

Frodo wandered off to sleep after bidding them both goodnight. Arianna took a sip of the magic sleeping juice and gagged. It tasted like dirt. She scrunched her face and flinched, suddenly remembering the long gash on the side of her face. It was a minor inconvenience that was easily forgotten, and she was thankful that it wasn't more serious. For the most part, she was glad she hadn't made a mess of things yet. Okay, she'd maybe peeved Boromir off a little more than she should have. And sure, she had slowed them down a little bit on the mountain with her incredible lack of balance and the whole hypothermia thing. But she hadn't managed to muck up much else. They were on the right track, going into the mines tomorrow, where Gandalf would fall so that he could be reborn a white wizard.

Arianna's lips quirked at the thought and, pinching her nose, she threw back the rest of the liquid like it was a long shot. She came up sputtering, licking her lips and giving a shiver as the dirty flavor invaded her taste buds. She didn't want to watch Gandalf die. Was there someway she could save him? Maybe he could turn into a white wizard some other way? Dying seemed pretty extreme.

"Sleep, child." As if he could read her thoughts, Gandalf interrupted, giving her a stern look.

Arianna stared for a moment. "Gandalf, about the mines…" How did she bring it up? Should she? Did he know? Arianna's mind whirled, confusion reigning. "Do we really have to, I mean, do _you_ have to–"

"Sleep," Gandalf commanded again, giving a wary glance to Aragorn. He had moved a few steps away to roll out his blanket, but he was still in earshot. Even as he gave his order, Arianna felt a strange wave of fatigue wash over her. Her mind buzzed pleasantly, and her eyes began to droop. She blinked rapidly, trying to clear her vision as everything went foggy.

Aragorn pressed a blanket into her arms, giving her a supportive smile. She nodded at him in thanks before immediately finding the softest patch of rock and curling up, cocooning herself in the cloth.

She was asleep within minutes.

* * *

The song used in this chapter can be found on YouTube: Eurobeat Brony - Discord (The Living Tombstone's Remix)

Yes, it's a My Little Pony song.

No, I am not ashamed. xD

So, that was chapter 4! Next chapter they'll finally be in the mines and we'll see how Arianna fairs during her first brush with the enemy! As always, drop a comment and let me know what you thought! Spell check me, praise me, question me, insult me - the choice is yours! Until then, thanks for reading and see you soon! :D


	5. Shocking Gravity

Hello, there, everyone! Welcome back! As always, I am exceedingly grateful for all the love you are giving this story! The favorite and alerts to both the story and myself as an author warm my heart! And the reviews continue to be wonderful! Although, I have received a fair few who I have unfortunately not been able to respond to due to them being nonnies. ): But I still love them all the same! Chapter five is a very important chapter plot-wise (though it may not seem so when you read it...) so I gave myself a little more time with it. (Also, I had a weekend in Nashville and I got more John Green books to read and I've been baking with my mom and going out to eat with my family and DAMMIT sometimes having a social life suuuuuuuucks.) BUT, I'm back now, thanks to encourmanding (they're encouraging _and_ demanding! :D) Tumblr messages from the lovely devinkealey, and I do hope you all enjoy this one! :D

* * *

**5.**

Arianna hummed, fisting her hands into the blankets beneath her. She could hear the quiet sound of her alarm going off: "_Hey fatty boom-boom, hit me with the ching-ching, not fucking thinking, dollar eye twinkling…_" Blearily, she slung one arm towards her end table and slapped at the play button. The music stopped abruptly, and Arianna cracked open one eye. The sun was bright, streaming in through her blinds and appearing in consistent rectangles upon her floor. Blinking, she shuffled in her covers, burying her face in the pillow again. It smelled like menthol cigarettes and blue mist shisha, a little like boy, a lot like hairspray. Arianna smiled into the pillowcase, feeling a sudden shift on the mattress next to her. The air was heavy in her room, thick with the lingering scent of Hugo Boss.

"Morning, Sleeping Beauty."

Arianna shuffled again, cuddling into Sebastian's chest. "Hi," she returned in between a wide yawn. "What time is it?"

"Afternoon, at least," Sebastian said. He slipped onto his back and hooked an arm around Arianna's shoulders. "Not time to get up, that's for damn sure."

"And that," Arianna laughed, nuzzling deeper into his side, "is why we're friends."

"No," Sebastian refuted, "we're friends because I'm incredibly rad and I also provide you with alcohol."

"Well, my affection don't come free."

"…You slept pretty well last night," Sebastian commented lightly, squeezing her shoulder.

Arianna frowned. She had slept well. At least, she thought she had. They had crashed at one after she'd taken her medication, and she didn't remember a thing after that. But she had dreamed, hadn't she? She thought so; it felt like she did. But what had it been about?

"Did you have any dreams?"

"I don't know," Arianna admitted. "I can't really remember."

Sebastian frowned. "No? Nothing?"

"Maybe there was something. I don't know. Like I said, I don't remember."

Sebastian squeezed her again. "Can you try?"

Frustrated, Arianna pulled away slightly. "Why? It doesn't matter."

"The doctor said that you're supposed to record these things, Arry! It's part of your sleep therapy."

Arianna sat up, throwing the covers off herself. She stepped out of the bed, her feet landing on the carpet. She wiggled her toes for a moment; it felt abnormally warm below her feet.

"I know what my own therapy is, Sebastian! But I can't record it if I don't remember, okay? It's not a big fucking deal." Arianna paused as her stomach gave an unpleasant tug. "I'm hungry. Do you want some pancakes?"

"What was the dream, Arry?"

Arianna halted in the middle of her room. A sudden, unbearable heat filled the small space and Arianna's vision began to wave. She broke out into unexpected sweats: her palms and her brow and her upper lip shone. A wicked hissing filled her head and her knees became weak. Slowly, she turned. Sebastian was standing behind her, looking entirely normal save for the unimaginable expression on his face. His chest was bare, and Arianna watched the muscles move under his tight skin as he moved toward her. His eyes were cold and malicious as he advanced, and as he spoke again, Arianna watched in horror as his face began to deteriorate and melt.

"Can you tell me anything about the Ring, Arianna? Did you see it?" His skin sagged and dripped onto the floor, which was splitting and cracking open to reveal rivulets of deep orange magma.

"Seb – Sebby?" Arianna's voice cracked as she took a hesitant step back. What was going on? What was this? A dream? None of this was possible. Sebby would never act this way towards her, and he wasn't supposed to be melting!

"Where is the Ring?" Sebastian demanded, reaching forward a hand. His skin slipped entirely off and Arianna was treated to the sight of his muscles, slimy and red, inlaid with jet-black veins. "Where is my Ring?"

"I don't have it!" Arianna shrieked. "I don't have a ring!" Arianna looked down at her hands easily, willing Sebastian to stop melting, willing the floor to stop rupturing. She pinched herself, flinching at the slight sting.

"What is this?" Her lower lip began to tremble, and her eyes grew foggy with tears. "What's happening?" She dropped to her knees, barely holding herself up on her vibrating arms.

"I can feel its power. You have it." Sebastian's face appeared before her unexpectedly, and she screamed. He was a monster. What muscles remained of his face had gone, and it was replaced with hollow black bones, spiked and elongated like a horse's carcass. There was a great hiss and a searing pain raced through Arianna's mind.

"Give me my ring!"

* * *

Arianna's eyes shot open, and, with a cry, she reflexively swung her fist out at the face that appeared before her eyes.

She felt the contact, a strong jaw against her knuckles. Sitting up, she fought for air, her throat constricted in fear and surprise. She gasped, willing her heart to stop thundering. Shakily, she put a hand on her forehead to calm her nerves. She closed her eyes and waited. All around her, she heard the sounds: the scuffling of feet against dirt and rock, several overlapping voices, an adrenaline buzz that still lingered in her ears.

"Arianna?"

Arianna jumped when she felt a small hand on her shoulder. She opened her eyes and saw Frodo standing before her, his eyes laced with worry. She sucked in a quivering breath through her nose, exhaling and shaking her head. "I'm fine," she said. Her voice was soft and frail. "I'm fine." Her hands fluttered over her face. "I'm okay."

Boromir sat up from the ground, and Arianna blinked. "I'm sorry!" she blurted. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to!"

"It's quite all right." Boromir rubbed his jaw with his thumb. He gave a rare smile. "You punch like a woman."

Giving a breathy laugh, Arianna let the comment slide. She couldn't handle a fight right now. Besides, it wasn't all that offensive. In fact, if she was being honest, the way he said it was almost…playful, like he was joking. Shaking her head, Arianna stood. "Are we going?"

The sun was rising, tinting the clouds with a soft orange glow. The air was still cool and smelled of wet earth. The rocks were covered in the finest mist of dew, making them sheen.

"Take a moment, child," Gandalf offered. "You need to eat and recover your strength." The look in his eyes made Arianna flinch. It was probably pretty obvious to the company that she'd had a nightmare, but she was pretty sure Gandalf was the only one who knew what it was about. _Stupid well-informed wizard and his stupid clairvoyant knowledge. _

She chewed her breakfast slowly, hundreds of things rushing through her mind. The first thing that clouded her thoughts was Sebastian. The dream had seemed so real; his arms had been warm and strong, just like they had been the last time he'd held her. And the smell, his smell: Hugo Boss and cigarettes and shisha. That was a smell she could never forget, and one too specific for her to be able to imagine or recall in her unconscious mind. It was as she had been _right there_. For a moment, she had been back home, in his arms, waking up to face another day. Arianna frowned, her heartstrings tugging. She missed him. She missed them all.

And when Sebastian had turned into that monster, when he had started melting – Arianna shivered, driving the image out of her mind. It was so wrong, so scary.

Glancing over towards Frodo, her stomach dropped. Sebastian had asked about the Ring. He had morphed into Sauron and asked about the Ring. Did it mean anything? Was Sauron aware that she was here, in Middle Earth? Was he trying to use her to get to Frodo? Arianna wasn't even sure that was possible. Sauron couldn't control or communicate with a person without some sort of connection, and she was sure: between her and the Dark Lord, there was no connection. She didn't have the Ring, either, which meant he couldn't access her mind. Sauron couldn't have possibly been in her dream. The thought made Arianna feel better.

It had just been a nightmare. Her mind had cooked up the ridiculous scenario because she was anxious and tired and overwhelmed. It hadn't been anything more than that.

With a sigh, Arianna popped her last berry into her mouth. She still felt hungry, but she didn't dare ask for more food. The rations were already cut because of her appearance, and she wasn't about to lessen them even more.

"Are you sure you're all right, my lady?"

Arianna glanced up to Legolas as he approached her. He looked troubled. "I'm fine," she responded. "Really. It was just a nightmare." She lowered her eyes, wishing she could forget the image of Sebastian's melting skin.

"Would you like to talk about it?" Legolas sat down beside her and took her empty plate.

Arianna's eyes widened. "No!" she asserted, drawing out the word. "Absolutely not. No, I never want to think about it again."

"It is not wise to bury your fears," Legolas offered supportively.

"Ugh," Arianna groaned. "Please don't give me that 'talking makes you feel better' lecture. Really. It was just a nightmare, just some scary pictures my fucked up misfiring neurons came up with. No big deal."

Legolas's brow furrowed. "Misfiring neurons?" He tasted the strange words slowly.

_Oh, right_, Arianna thought. _They don't know anything about dream theory in this world. _"It's something that's exclusive to my world, I guess. We have people who interpret and study dreams. Some of them say that there are these things in our brains called neurons, and when we sleep, they fire randomly and that's what causes dreams."

Legolas looked at her quite frankly. "That is absolutely bizarre."

Laughing, Arianna gave him a gentle shove. "Oh, yeah? And what do you all think causes dreams?"

"Dreams are most often messages from the Valar," Legolas said simply. "Elves generally do not dream as often as other races, since we do not technically sleep, but when we do dream, they are often messages or premonitions."

"Well, that's boring." Arianna frowned. "You mean you don't have any fun dreams? Like, getting chased by squirrels or marrying turkeys?"

Legolas blinked, his eyes widening. "Have you had such dreams?"

Arianna shuffled her eyes. "Um, _no_." She cleared her throat. "I'm just saying. Dreams can be kind of like an escape. What good are they if they're just made-up religious deities trying to tell you to have a squash for breakfast instead of a kumquat?"

Arianna pulled out her cigarettes at this point. After the nightmare and knowing what was coming up, she felt that now was as good a time as ever to have one. She popped the small ball in the filter and then lit it, taking a deep drag. The subtle sting of menthol cooled her throat, and she sighed.

"The Valar do not exist to influence our eating habits," Legolas reprimanded lightly. "They entered into this world after its creation to give order and combat evil."

Arianna snorted. "Well a hell of a lot of good they did on that account."

"I wonder that you can say such things so lightly. The Valar are, after all, the ones who summoned you here."

At this, Arianna was brought up short. She clenched her cigarette between tight lips. He had a point. Gandalf did say that the Valar were the ones that brought her here (for whatever reason). The Valar were omnipotent beings, rivaling the gods that existed in her world. Was she to believe in them? Normally, she wouldn't, being more inclined to trust in things that could be physically proven to exist. But if she didn't believe in the Valar, then what was she to think of how she arrived in Middle Earth? _Something_ had to have happened for her to just fall into an alternate world. _Someone_had to have caused it. Then again, magic wasn't absolutely unthought-of in Middle Earth. Maybe there was some dark magic at play? What if Sauron had been the one to bring her here? And if that was the case, what did he want with a girl like her?

"Ugh!" Arianna dove her hands into her hair and ruffled it in aggravation.

"You're confused," Legolas said.

"And aggravated!" Arianna snapped in reply. "I mean, I don't even believe in gods, and then all this shit happens! What am I supposed to think now? I can't just assume they're real – I've never seen them! But if they're the ones that brought me here, then…I don't know! Everything I ever believed is just what? Gutted? Down the drain? Good for nothing? _Wrong_? I mean, what the hell? And if they do exist and they brought me here, why did they do it? What good am I to them?" Arianna took a harsh drag, blowing out a puff of smoke irately. "And what if it wasn't them? What if some dark magic brought me here? Isn't that possible, too? I just don't know what to think!" Arianna took another fretful drag, watching a clump of ash fall onto her thigh. She bounced her legs, and the ash slipped off, mingling with the dirt and rock below.

"I do not doubt that you are very confused right now." Legolas offered a comforting hand on Arianna's shoulder. "But the Valar, who are quite real, I assure you, never do anything without reasonable intention. If they brought you here, they did so because they believe in you, even though you do not believe in them."

"But believe in me to do what?" Arianna demanded, exasperated. "I can't fight, I'm no good at diplomacy, and I don't really know when to keep my mouth shut; all I'm good for is annoying Boromir and wasting resources!" Arianna pouted, stubbing out the butt of her cigarette.

"You have heart," Legolas offered warmly, giving her shoulder a squeeze. "That counts for much more in this world than it seems to in yours."

"Heart doesn't win wars," Arianna said bitterly.

"You think not?"

"No." Arianna stood, brushing away Legolas's hand and swallowing a lump in her throat. "Heart has nothing to do with war. If it did, there are a lot of people I know that would still be alive."

* * *

Night fell, and just as Gandalf had said, they were approaching a small slope in the ground that lead down to the doors of Moria.

The air was thick with fog and the smell of stagnant, squalid water. The ground was beginning to grow wet and slippery. The closer they moved to the door, the more difficult it became for Arianna to stay upright. Her shoes gave absolutely no friction against the rocks, and she skated over them slowly, trying her best to keep her balance. She certainly didn't need a repeat of Caradhras; she didn't know if her cheeks could handle it. As it was, she still had a nice gash that stung whenever she moved her face too enthusiastically. And it was starting to itch.

For the most part, Arianna had been silent since they had begun their trek this morning. After the nightmare and her talk with Legolas, she hadn't been in any mood to socialize. She had stayed to the back of the group, just behind Aragorn. There was something about this place that put her on edge. It felt as if everywhere she went, she was being watched. It was an uncomfortable feeling, one that made tingles of anxiety skitter up and down her spine. Every now and again, she pulled a Boromir and couldn't help but look over her shoulder.

They descended into the steep incline and came to a small path and crossed on the left side of the lake, funneling into a line towards the hidden door. Gimli began knocking on the wall with his axe.

"Dwarf doors are invisible when closed," he announced, listening as he tapped against the rock.

"Yes, Gimli, even their own masters cannot find them, if their secrets are forgotten."

"Why doesn't that surprise me?" Legolas murmured, unimpressed.

Gimli grumbled, but said nothing. Gandalf began eyeing the rock face, searching for signs of the door under the mountain. He placed a hand on the rock, running his fingers over the hollows of the door, whispering to himself. A sudden glow lit the surrounding area, and Arianna watched in amazement as liquid silver seemed to slither through the rock, winding and curling and forming the outline of the door, the entrance to Gandalf's own doom. It was at this point that her heart seized up in her chest. The Watcher was so near. She took an unconscious step back, goosebumps exploding across her skin.

_I'll be safest in the mines,_ she thought. _And I'll be out of the way, too. It's okay; I just need to breathe. Nobody gets hurt. Not yet._

Despite that knowledge, Arianna was nearly having a heart attack. She felt her legs turning quickly into noodles, and her mouth became dry with fear. She licked her lips, watching the water anxiously.

"It reads," Gandalf began for the group, "'The Doors of Durin, Lord of Moria. Speak, friend, and enter!'"

"What do you suppose that means?" Merry asked, gazing up at the door. Arianna began weaving her way through the Fellowship, making as if she were looking at the door herself. It wasn't entirely untrue: seeing the door was remarkable. Inlaid into the stone, it lit her face as she leaned in, sneaking in between Gandalf and the wall to get up close. It was beautiful – more beautiful than anything she'd ever seen.

"Well, it's quite simple: if you are a friend, you speak the password, and the doors will open!"

Arianna rolled her eyes as Gandalf began his incantations, to no reward. She wished she could just scream the password and get them inside, but she knew that she couldn't. They _had_ to face the Watcher so that they would be trapped inside the mines, forcing them to go forward. If she altered the time span, she might muck up the entire day's worth of adventures. She was still feeling incredibly uneasy about letting Gandalf go willingly to his death, but she knew she couldn't bring it up to him again with the rest of the Fellowship so close at hand. Frowning, Arianna pulled away from the door.

She decided she didn't like this adventure one bit.

Reading about it and watching the movie, well that was one thing. Being here with them, getting to know them, and experiencing real danger: it made her a lot more hesitant to accept how and why certain things transpired. It would be hard, much harder than it ever had been for her, to watch Gandalf hang from that ledge and then fall to his death. It was real now.

Arianna took a seat beside Frodo, clutching her knees to her chest. It was chilly already because it must have been going on ten at night; add that to the fact that they were beside the lake and Arianna was underdressed. Well. She was cold again. She didn't think she'd ever get used to the bitter air that blew in Middle Earth. There was something different about it. Something foreign. It seemed lighter but less forgiving than the air she was used to.

"What if we can't get in?"

Arianna turned to Frodo with a frown. "With Gandalf's wit and my brute strength? Are you kidding me? We'll be in in no time, just you watch!"

Frodo gave a little smile. "Brute strength?"

"Well, duh!" Arianna flexed one of her sad biceps. "I mean, look at these guns. I could break down that door with my bare hands if I had to!"

Frodo let out a loud laugh at that, shaking his head. "You always make me laugh!"

"Well, I didn't fall out of the sky for nothing now, did I?" She shoulder-checked him, grinning.

"Lady Arianna?"

"Oh, can we please stop with this 'lady' nonsense?" Arianna asked as Legolas stared down at her. "And I mean everyone," she turned to Frodo and eyed him. "We all know I'm no lady. Arianna will be just fine."

"It is proper to address a woman as 'lady,'" Legolas responded.

"Is it not also proper to concede to a woman's wishes when they're reasonable?" Arianna countered.

Legolas seemed to consider this. "I believe it is," he said at length. "But it still seems rather improper."

"There are more than a few things improper about me, Legs," Arianna quipped. "You should know that by now!"

"I like it," Frodo said. "It's just as well, too. You're right: 'lady' doesn't suit you, though I mean no offence!"

"And I take none, Master Hobbit!" Arianna bowed her head and waved her hands, snickering.

"Arianna, then," Legolas interceded. His face became troubled at the use of her name without a title. "May I speak with you?"

"You already are," Arianna pointed out. "But since I assume you mean speak with me alone, I'll go ahead and let it slide." She stood, brushing off her backside. "If you'll excuse me, Frodo!" She bowed ridiculously, raising her eyes to grin and wink at the hobbit. Frodo just laughed.

Arianna weaved her way through the group. She and Legolas tucked themselves under an overhang. He considered her for a moment, quietly, with a serious expression.

"You have been unusually thoughtful today," he noticed softly. "Is there something on your mind?"

Arianna sucked her lips into a thin line, her eyes widening. "Erm," What did she say? Legolas knew her story, knew she was aware of everything that would happen. Did he expect her to tell him? Is that what he wanted? "You know, my skull? Hair?"

"Very clever," Legolas commented blandly.

"Why, thank you, sir."

"Must you be so sarcastic?" Despite his words, Legolas gave a small smile.

"Indeed, I must."

Legolas sighed. "Very well. I suppose I should have known to speak directly. Are you worried because something will happen in the mines?"

"Nope!" Arianna offered almost too quickly. "Not worried about a damn thing." Gandalf had told her to keep her knowledge secret, and secret she would keep it. If Legolas knew what was going to happen, he would surely try to stop it. As unfortunate as it was, Arianna couldn't allow that. She was sure Legolas and the others would be upset and angry with her, but they would understand in time. She hoped.

"You're lying," Legolas said very simply.

Arianna shuffled her eyes, slipping her tongue over the left side of her teeth. "_You're_ lying," she countered weakly.

"Why will you not tell me?"

Arianna wanted to slap that curious look off of Legolas's face. It was fair of him, asking her this. He was using what he'd heard with his stupid elf ears against her. "Look," she began, "you heard everything that Gandalf and I said. He told me to keep what I knew to myself."

"So you do know what will happen." His eyes narrowed.

"Yes." Arianna heaved a guilty breath. "But Gandalf told me not to tell, okay? Can't you respect that?"

"I would, if I did not fear it held terrible consequences. Are we in danger?"

"Yes," Arianna said quietly. "But that's all I'm saying! Just…keep your eyes and ears sharp."

"They always are." Legolas's face was still stern, and he was not as amicable as he normally was. She supposed it was to be expected. She still felt a bit hurt, though. It wasn't as if she didn't trust Legolas! It was just…she frowned. What was it? Gandalf had told her not to tell. That was that. Still, having Legolas frown at her the way he was – it certainly didn't make Arianna feel good about the whole situation.

The unique sound of stone on stone caught her attention. During her conversation with Legolas, Frodo had realized the riddle, and the door was opening. She turned from Legolas without another word, jogging right up to Gandalf's side as he entered the mines slowly. Her stomach gave a lurch when something beneath her feet crunched; she dared not look down. Instead, she turned to Frodo, motioning him inside. He stepped in slowly, and his particular spot of entry allowed him to be spared the horrible experience of trampling bones. Arianna took a deep breath, using what little light there was to survey the bodies she could pick out. Most of them were sprawled across the floor, empty-handed. In the dust, there lay several short axes and a few dilapidated arrows, their shafts cracked and their feathers tousled and uneven. But in the limp hand of one of the bodies, there was a short, rusted sword. It looked well used, and it was still stained with rivulets of dried blood.

_But it'll do… _

Arianna ignored everything around her as she made her way over to the mass of bones and armor. She heard Gimli telling Legolas about the hospitality of the Dwarves, and Boromir assessing the less-than-homely décor that was the litter of bodies. She bent down and swallowed, inching her hand toward the dull metal. Her heart began to beat faster, and she hesitated. Should she really try to fight? Was there a possibility it could cause more trouble than her just standing back and doing nothing? She weighed her options, her lips quivering as her breaths shook her chest. Fight or no, there was still no harm in her having a weapon to defend herself. And yet…

"Aragorn!"

"Strider!"

The hobbits shouted suddenly, surprising Arianna. She turned, her blood freezing as she saw the faint outline of the Watcher pulling Frodo towards the edge of the water. She could see its tentacles, grappling at Frodo's pockets and roaring out an impossible sound. It sounded like a dog mixed with a whale, lowered to a terrifying low register. Arianna's entire body stiffened, and her stomach heaved. The sight of the Watcher was paralyzing. With it's mouth wide open, teeth sharp and bared in hundreds of rows. She wanted to scream, but when she opened her mouth, nothing came out but a broken gasp. She thought, with the (slight) mental preparation she'd been doing, plus the fact that she had watched the scene well over a hundred times, she'd be ready for it.

But she was sadly mistaken.

She had imagined herself picking up a sword and wielding it – maybe not heroically, but well enough to be of _some_ help. Now, she couldn't even feel her body. The thought of going anywhere near the Watcher seemed absurd! Her eyes were wide as she watched on, the water crashing and splashing as the Watcher thrashed and fought and what the _hell_ had she been thinking when she imagined herself running up and fighting it?

As the others fought, Arianna collapsed to her knees, weighed down by the shocking gravity of the situation, her hands resting on a blade that she couldn't bring herself to pick up.

* * *

SO. They've finally made it into the mines, and poor Arianna - it isn't as easy as she'd thought! ): But I mean, come on. I couldn't have her rush headfirst into battle and defeat the Watcher single-handed, could I? That's Suvian influence, kids, and that's not something I like to deal in! *shakes finger* But we'll see. Arianna may find her courage yet! We're also starting to see a mild shift in characters. One nonnie reviewer noted that the "Boromir's a douche" bit was "trite and overused," and while I agree, I wish they had waited just _one_ more chapter to say so, because it actually does have a point and purpose in the story! But _que sera, sera_, as they say! Hopefully that person will feel a little bit better about the way Boromir's coming along as a character! We'll see more on it in the next chapter! :D

I do hope you enjoyed, and _as always_, feedback is always welcome! Thanks for reading, and see you next time!  
:)

Oh! And Arianna's beautiful alarm clock song is "Fatty Boom Boom" by Die Antwoord. Check it owt. =D


	6. Will o' the Wisp

Hello, again, my lovely readers! :) I hope you've all been well since my last update! I don't really have much to say at the beginning of this chapter, other than my usual (and everlasting) thanks for your reviews and favorites and alerts! I continue to be astounded at the reaction this story has gotten. For reference, something you might want to Google before reading this chapter would be the term **will-o'-the-wisp**. I introduce it in this chapter and it will continue to be a part of the story, so knowing about the term if you don't already might help you understand a little better! I don't think I have anything more than that, soooo enjoy your reading!

* * *

**6.**

The darkness was overwhelming.

The last of the crumbling boulders showered to the ground, a small rock rolling away and touching Arianna's knee. She glanced down, still in a daze of emotion. She felt helpless and small, sitting with her legs splayed out behind her, her backside between them: like a child. Almost unconsciously, she fingered the rock in front of her. It was solid and rough, edges now uneven and dented like metal framework. It was just a rock, cut down by a mighty foe that fought without reserve. Like her, it was an innocent bystander to something much, much bigger. She gripped the rock in her hand, squinting her eyes to gaze at it. In the dark, she could see nothing helpful, but when she ran her fingers over the stone, she could feel the slight etching. In her hand, she held a piece of the door, now broken and never to be opened again. It gave her terrible ideas.

_Doors that lead to nowhere, trapped in an ancient land… _

Arianna was shocked out of her trance when a hand suddenly found the top of her head. She jumped in surprise, biting her tongue to keep from shrieking. She stood on shaky legs, her eyes beginning to adjust to the darkness. Legolas stood before her, a sad expression on his face. Arianna didn't know whether he felt sorry for her or if he felt sorry for himself, now stuck for four days underground.

"Are you all right?" he asked softly.

"Yes," Arianna whispered back. She felt tears burn her eyes. "I'm sorry. I wanted to help, but–"

"You needn't apologize. We are here to protect you," Legolas said.

"But I wanted to help!" Arianna insisted loudly. "I thought that if I could just find a sword, I would be able to!" Her lip quivered, and she felt her throat dry out. "But I couldn't! As soon as I saw it, I – I…" She took a shaky breath, clutching her hair with her free hand. She still gripped the rock tightly in her grasp. For some reason, she felt unable to let it go.

"It's all right, Lady Arianna."

"Just Arianna," she gasped, very nearly in hysterics. "Remember, Legs? Just Arianna!"

Her heart was thundering, and it was very difficult to breathe, but Arianna did her best to calm down. No one had gotten hurt, and they had at least three days of peace ahead of them. She took in deep, slow breaths, wishing there was a fifth of vodka on hand. She could really use a drink.

"We do not expect you to fight," Legolas said, coaxing her hand out of her hair. She needed to retie it; it had long come out of the bun she'd curled it into.

"I know," Arianna said miserably. "But I just feel so…useless if I don't do something."

_If I don't do anything while I'm here, then how am I ever going to get home? Of course, that theory hinges on the fact that I was brought here for a _reason_ in the first place. If I was brought here for a purpose, then of course I have to do something and find out what it is! But what if I wasn't brought here for a reason? What if the universe just fucked up? Then can I just do nothing? _

"Arianna," Legolas began, "you have the heart of a warrior, but not the skill. None of us expect you to fight. All you must do is get to Lothlórien safely, and we will make sure that you do. I understand that you are very independent, but at this point, trying to rush into a battle will do nothing but put you in our way." His eyes seemed to grow softer. "But if you were to tell us what to expect, perhaps you would not feel so obligated to protect us."

Arianna's face dropped. She pulled away from Legolas, looking up to glare at him. "Really?" she asked. "Really?"

"Please see reason, Arianna. If we but knew what to expect–"

"_If we but knew what to expect_," Arianna mimed in a high voice. "God, no matter where you go, there's always one, isn't there? Here I am, nearly having a mental breakdown and admitting deep, psychological feelings to you and all you can think about is getting information out of me! Awesome. Just great. Fits real well into your princely, chivalrous bit. God!"

"Arianna, I did not mean to offend you."

"Well, you did!" she returned heatedly. "And now, I don't want to talk to you! Have fun being underground for four days! I don't expect I'll want to talk to you before we get out."

And she stalked off.

She spent most of the first hours silently fuming as she traveled in front of Boromir. He hadn't said anything as she stormed by, but he did give a smile. It was already different, because she rarely saw him smile, but it was even stranger that the smile seemed…fond. Arianna didn't quite know how to describe it. When she'd stalked by, his head had inclined and he had smiled that smile, as if he were smiling at a younger sibling. Perhaps exasperated, perhaps teasing. She didn't quite know. And it irked her even more. Why was Boromir smiling at her? She certainly didn't need his patronizing ass grating on her nerves, too!

He was a lot less abrasive than he had been at first. Or at least, he wasn't making as many sexist comments. Now, he seemed to hardly speak to her at all. He treated her instead with glances and the occasional nod of the head. Arianna wondered what it meant. Was he perhaps warming up to her? If so, well, what the fuck? Had he suddenly extradited his chauvinistic ways? She doubted it. Or maybe, they'd never been there at all. Arianna tried to think back to their first words. Thinking it over, she was the first to talk, and it hadn't been very nice.

"_Take a picture, it'll last longer!" _

"_I beg your pardon?" _

"I beg your pardon_. Stop staring at me!"_

"_I was not staring."_

"_Not staring, right. I suppose you just have a nervous twitch, then?" _

"_It is no crime to keep an eye on the back of our company. Enemies can come from anywhere. I would not expect a woman to understand."_

"_Excuse me? I'll show you an enemy, you pompous piece of–"_

Okay. So she had been the one to start the fight. She'd admit to that. But he was the one who started pulling gender biases! But, she supposed, it could have been a mild reflex. She knew when she was fighting with someone that she often pulled the lowest card possible early in the game to get the upper hand. It was standard procedure if you wanted to win verbal arguments. She now remembered what Gandalf had told her:

"_Perhaps if you tried to be less hostile, you two would not fight."_

A fair enough statement. If she had been less hostile back home as well, she probably would have had more than three friends. Then again, Boromir had returned the favor when he'd quipped at her about being afraid of spiders. But that was the last outwardly critical thing he'd said to her. The next real encounter they'd had was at Caradhras, when he had continuously picked her out of the snow and then bandaged her cheek.

"Why I hate people, reason number four-billion-twenty-three," she muttered. "They're fucking confusing as shit."

And so, in the dark depths of Moria, Arianna mulled over the complexities of social interaction and the difference between optional and non-optional social conventions. She had a lot to think about, considering she was mulling over the customs of two different worlds. Clearly, she wasn't a normal girl by Middle Earth's standards, and there were more than a few customs that she wasn't used to. There were also things that she was clearly not supposed to do (though, that didn't – and wasn't going to – stop her from doing them): cursing, smoking, being "boorish," drinking, among other things she was sure she'd find out soon enough. She also assumed that part of social convention here was not insulting one of the people who was trying to protect and help you. She huffed. But how could she help it? He had been staring; he was suspicious of her! Helpless, lost little Arianna, and Boromir thought she was some sort of medieval Russian spy sent to eradicate them! …Okay, so maybe that was a little exaggerated. He had every right to be a little suspicious of her _at first: _strange girl who shows up knowing everything about everything; she'd be suspicious, too! But after Gandalf had cleared her, he shouldn't have held onto any of that doubt! As Arianna's hand grazed a vein of mithril, she supposed, just maybe, that he hadn't held onto it. Maybe Boromir _had_ just been keeping an eye on the back of the company? Arianna stopped dead in her tracks.

_Maybe he had been keeping an eye on _me_. Maybe he was watching over me, making sure nothing happened. Like how he did at Caradhras. Except at Caradhras, he was smart about it and stood behind me. Probably because he'd seen how clumsy I was, and probably because he didn't want me yelling at him again. _

"Has another spider made you freeze with fear?" She heard Boromir's voice ring out softly from behind her, its tone light and teasing. He placed his hands on her shoulders.

"Wha? Oh, no. Sorry, I just, um. Sorry." Arianna fumbled over her words her mind flip-flopped. Boromir wasn't really mean, was he? He had just been reacting to her because _she'd_ been mean.

"If you're all right, we'd best keep going. We do not want to linger here longer than we must. Come." He gave her a gentle nudge forward, and Arianna stumbled for a moment before regaining her footing. She glanced back around. Boromir had already averted his attention. He was looking around the enormous cavern, his eyes alight with the reflection of mithril.

_Had he really be trying to help me? The whole time?_

Arianna suddenly felt a wave of nauseous guilt engulf her. Deep in her mind, she knew the answer. Boromir had been trying to look out for her, and she had attacked him like a frigid bitch. Now she felt awful. Sighing, she held herself tight, hanging her head and watching her feet as she walked. She would have to apologize. It would be awkward, and she was sure a little bit of her pride would melt away, but it wasn't anything she couldn't do. He deserved it, after all. Arianna finally realized that she was the one who had been in the wrong.

Arianna sighed, rubbing her palms over her arms, silently hating herself. To add to all her sudden displeasure, she felt that the stubble on her arms had grown _long_ and prickly. It made her gag. That's when it dawned on her that she also hadn't showered for several days now. How long had it been since she'd been here? Four, five days, maybe more? She was already losing count. Still, she was a lady, and she was accustomed to showering (and shaving!) every day. She was beginning to feel it everywhere on her body. Her hair was starting to feel greasy and her skin sticky. Subtly, she took a whiff of herself, glad to discover that she wasn't offensive yet. She comforted herself with the fact that they would soon be in Lothlórien, where she could hopefully have a nice, warm soak to ease herself.

Arianna didn't try to keep up with the number of hours they walked, but by the time she was allowed to sit down, her legs were burning. They'd been sore and stiff for a few days, the build up of lactic acid making her legs tough and tense. She stretched them out in front of her, biting back a loud groan. She needed a massage, and not one of those pansy-ass massages. She needed a full deep-tissue massage, all over her body. Man, that sounded awesome. She wished Remy were here. Four years her senior, he was well out of college and a full-time message therapist. He loved to give Arianna random and thorough messages, because he had this _knack_ for being able to tell when she needed one.

But thinking of Remy just made her sad, because he _wasn't_ here, and he _couldn't_ give her a message, and there was a very possible chance she would never see him or Danny or Sebby again.

"You look sad, milady."

"Do I?"

Sam nodded as he advanced slowly. Of all the company, he was probably the one she'd spent the least amount of time with. She was curious as to why he was approaching her now.

"Is it about your family?" he asked quietly. He sat down beside her, his face heavy.

"Close," Arianna returned. "My friends. I just miss them, and I'm afraid…I'm just worried that I'll never see them again." It hurt a lot more to say out loud, and Arianna's voice cracked with emotion as she fought back tears. "But I guess it's the same for any of you, right? You've all left your family and friends."

"Well, I do miss my old Gaffer," Sam recalled fondly, smiling a little. "But I've got myself my best friends here with me."

"You're lucky to be around so many people who care about you, especially at a time like this." Arianna bit her lip immediately, flinching. She hadn't exactly told him anything detailed, but it still felt like a slip.

Sam caught it, too. "A time like this?" he repeated curiously.

"I just meant…the war. It's, uh, good to have close friends with you through any hardships, but in war especially, I think." Arianna bumbled out something that sounded believable, and Sam seemed to go with it.

"You must feel very lonely, then." Sam hung his head. "I reckon we don't much make up for your family back where you came from."

Arianna frowned. "It is loneliness that makes the loudest noise. This is true of men as of dogs." She picked at her fingernails. "I suppose I am lonely, and it doesn't get better as the days pass, but it helps to have you all here."

"I reckon you would be a wonderful story-teller."

"Me?" Arianna chuckled. "No, I wouldn't. Don't be fooled. I may sound poetic, but really I just steal other people's words. I've always been good at remembering things other people have said, especially when they meant something to me. I guess you could say I live my life by quotes."

"But remembering is only half of what you do," Sam said, looking at her as if surprised. "You take what those folk said and make it _mean_ something."

"You give me too much credit, Master Samwise."

Sam was quiet for a moment before he spoke again. "Did your home have good tales?"

"A few," Arianna admitted. "But most of the tales I've read probably wouldn't interest you. Though, I do remember a fewer short poems that might be relevant in this world."

"I'd be glad to hear one, my lady."

Arianna called a poem to mind. It wasn't half so happy as she hoped to recite in a place like this, but it was all that she seemed to be able to remember among the darkness that prevailed. She took a quiet breath.

"_In the greenest of our valleys  
__By good angels tenanted,  
__Once a fair and stately palace—  
__Snow-White palace—reared its head.  
__In the monarch Thought's dominion—  
__It stood there!  
__Never seraph spread his pinion  
__Over fabric half so fair!  
__Banners yellow, glorious, golden,  
__On its roof did float and flow—  
__(This—all this—was in the olden  
__Time long ago)  
__And every gentle air that dallied,  
__In that sweet day,  
__Along the rampart plumed and pallid,  
__A winged odor went away._"

Arianna watched the other curious hobbits wandered over, their eyes trained on her. Things had gone quiet in the camp, and she suddenly felt flushed. Everyone was listening to her. Gandalf and Aragorn were smoking their pipes, their wise eyes watching and their trained ears alert. Arianna caught Legolas's eye as her vision jumped from person to person, and she quickly frowned and looked away. Around her, the darkness seemed to grow deeper.

"_All wanderers in that happy valley,  
__Through two luminous windows, saw  
__Spirits moving musically,  
__To a lute's well-tuned law,  
__Round about a throne where, sitting,  
__Porphyrogene,  
__In state his glory well befitting  
__The sovereign of the realm was seen.  
__And with all pearl and ruby glowing  
__Was the fair palace door,  
__Through which came flowing, flowing, flowing,  
__And sparkling evermore,  
__A troop of Echoes whose sweet duty  
__Was but to sing,  
__In voices of surpassing beauty,  
__The wit and wisdom of their king._"

Arianna felt her heart give a tug. Danny had been her comrade in arms when it came to a love of poetry. His was much more profound than hers was (or ever would be, she bet). He didn't read contemporary novels or magazines. If it wasn't poetry, it wasn't worth his time. Danny had been the one to turn Arianna onto poetry in the first place, actually. He had introduced her to her favorite poet, a man named Walter Benton who wrote about love and sex and drinks and sorrow. Arianna could barely recall the time before poetry came into her life. She could hardly remember it, but she assumed it had been dull.

"_But evil things, in robes of sorrow,  
__Assailed the monarch's high estate.  
__(Ah, let us mourn!—for never morrow  
__Shall dawn upon him, desolate!)  
__And round about his home the glory  
__That blushed and bloomed,  
__Is but a dim-remembered story  
__Of the old-time entombed.  
__And travellers, now, within the valley,  
__Through the encrimsoned windows see  
__Vast forms that move fantastically  
__To a discordant melody,  
__While, like a rapid, ghastly river,  
__Through the pale door  
__A hideous throng rush out forever  
__And laugh—but smile no more._"

Her last words lingered, ringing through the empty cavern like the singing troop of Echoes themselves. No one spoke, and when Arianna stood up and began to wander off, they let her.

* * *

Everything looked the same underground, Arianna determined.

It was all stone and dark and solid, and sure some of it was cut into great pillars or doorways, but that didn't make it any less what it was: a bunch of rock. Arianna had to give the dwarves credit, though. For their obvious lack of industrial machinery, they sure knew how to get shit done. She was impressed by how thoroughly the dwarves had delved, how deep they had gone. (Arianna scrunched up her nose at the unpleasant innuendo that swam through her mind.) The work was impressive. She wondered what it had looked like before it had been mined. Arianna imagined it looking like the night sky, a dark backdrop laced with thousands of veils of stars made of shining mithril.

Now it just looked like the bottom of the sea: dark, cold, hopeless, and hiding some unhappy treasure that might never again be seen by living eyes, no want of greedy souls having stowed it away behind some secret lock and having made no key.

Arianna sighed. She supposed her gloomy attitude could be attributed to Edgar Allan Poe; reading him always made her feel downhearted and thoughtful. Moodily, Arianna kicked at a small rock. It clattered away until it stopped a few feet in front of her. Arianna was reminded of the piece of the wall that she'd held just hours before. She'd left it behind at the entrance after her fight with Legolas. At the thought, she suddenly felt like crying. There, alone on the ledge, in the darkness of Moria, it came upon her like a nauseous wave.

She was in Middle Earth, away from her friends, travelling with the Fellowship to no apparent point and purpose, in mild states of discontent with two of the prominent members who were trying to protect her; she didn't know how to fight and she didn't even have the courage to, and now she was going to have to watch Gandalf die, because she couldn't risk messing up the storyline! Arianna collapsed to her knees, taking in a shaky breath. Tears burned her eyes. She wasn't used to things being so out of her control. She had always had things under control back home. She lived her life exactly as she'd wanted to, did what she wanted when she wanted, and it had always worked out. Having so many constraints on what she could and couldn't do made her half mad.

"I can't do this," she whispered to herself. "This is impossible." Hands in her hair, she could now imagine how desperate Sara must have felt. In that moment, all Arianna wanted to do was escape, to get back home.

_Is that why she did it?_ Arianna wondered suddenly_. Is that why she killed herself? Did she think…did she think dying in this world would send her back?_

Arianna tried to steady her breath, to calm her emotions. She wanted to think clearly, needed to weigh some pros and cons, but her mind refused to settle. Weakly, Arianna scooted back to the wall and rested against it, drawing her knees tightly to her chest and resting her forehead against them. Silent tears dripped down her cheeks. She stayed there crying, physically and mentally exhausted, whispering quotes to herself until she slipped into an uneasy sleep.

* * *

Arianna was sprawled lazily across the floor, staring up at the ceiling as she sucked on the pipe in her mouth, drawing in the taste of smoke and blueberries. She passed off the hose to Remy, who was sitting cross-legged beside her, a book flipped open lazily in his lap. Sebastian sat languidly on the small couch with Danny; they were both strumming on guitars, cigarettes peeking out the corner of their mouths. Arianna sang quietly along to their tune, closing her eyes and smiling. It was a warm summer night, not yet muggy. The sunroom windows were open, and she could smell the honeysuckles on the wind.

If Heaven existed, this was definitely it.

She felt around behind her head until she grasped the handle of the bottle that Sebby had brought over. She sat up smoothly, unscrewing the cap while reaching for one of the many bottles of Coke that littered the floor. Her mouth watered; the taste of her last drink still lingered in her mouth.

Mid-chord, both Sebby and Danny changed the song they were playing. It went from a soft ballad to a rough and hardy rock piece. Arianna mixed her drink to Sebastian's deep voice.

"This dream is who I wanna be," he belted.

"Youth and whiskey!" Arianna, Remy, and Danny returned loudly. She laughed before raising her drink in a silent toast. She threw it back quickly, the Jack burning all the way down. Almost out of nowhere, the music came loud and clear. Danny and Sebby quit playing, dropping their guitars as the bridge overtook the room. They all converged on her, laughing in deep, familiar tones. On the floor, they cornered her, grabbing, tickling. She laughed, trying to escape, but they were stronger than she was, especially when her mind was soaked in alcohol.

The drink was poured over her so suddenly that she shrieked with laughter, still fighting to get away. Her hair and arms were sticky with Jack, and she fought to keep her eyes closed. She was surprised when she felt the bottle press up against her lips forcefully. Her head was tilted back, and the liquid came flowing out like an angry river. She sputtered, gagging and trying to swallow what she could. Mouth open wide, she tried to breath, but she sputtered again, forcing the whiskey out of her nose. Her eyes burned and she squeezed them tighter together. Everything was aching. She could feel her lungs pleading for air, drowning in liquor.

"Get the Ring!"

"It's not here!"

"She hasn't got it!"

"No, she must! I can feel its power!"

"It isn't here!"

The bottle was ripped from her mouth, and when Arianna gasped for air and wiped at her eyes and opened them and saw the face before her, she screamed.

* * *

Arianna awoke with a startled gasp, grabbing at her throat, struggling for sloppy breaths. She was starved for air, as if her dream had actually happened. Everything felt real: the burn in her eyes and throat and chest was genuine, and incredibly unpleasant. Her face was still wet. She wiped at it hurriedly, her hands shaking. She was impossibly confused, her mind reeling. That nightmare had been exactly like the last one: a memory gone wrong. And they had asked for the Ring. Just like last time, they had turned into monsters and asked for the Ring.

When she came to her senses, she noticed that she was alone, still curled up against the wall. Frowning, she unfurled herself and groaned, stretching her sore muscles as she stood. She wondered how long she slept; it was hard to tell in a place like this.

"I guess I'd better get back," she muttered. Arianna turned to leave, dusting dirt off her backside. She hadn't taken two steps before she stopped dead, her ears picking up on a curious sound.

It was like…a breath: an airy, high-pitched tone that made Arianna turn on heel.

She blinked, wondering if her eyes were playing tricks on her. Far down the path, at the point where the way turned round a bend, there was something floating. Arianna cocked her head minutely to the side, her eyebrows shooting toward her hairline. It was a little green light, just sort of…hanging about in the air. She blinked again, rubbing at her eyes roughly and waiting until the count of ten to open them again. After the phosphene had worn off, she focused on the area again. The light was still there, bobbing and swaying, flickering as if it were a flame.

"What the…?"

Arianna took a step forward, and just as she did she heard the noise again. The little light flickered brightly, calling out its musical note. Arianna blinked again. That thing, it almost seemed _alive_. It moved like a flame, but there was something else: at its side, she could swear she saw two little tendrils that reached out past the core, reached forward as if they were arms. Arms that beckoned. Beckoned and reached. And beckoned and reached. And back and forth. Towards her and away. Beckoned and reached. In a daze, Arianna began to walk forward slowly, keeping her eyes trained on the light. It grew brighter the closer she got, louder with every step she took, that wispy, high note the only thing she could hear.

"_Come._" It had the voice of a child, light and piercing.

"I'm coming," she whispered back immediately. She made her way further down the path; it seemed no matter how far she walked, she wasn't able to reach the wisp of light. It withdrew, further and further, and she followed it down the winding path, her fingertips dragging against the wall behind her. Arianna barely registered the increasing incline of the ledge; the further she went, the more she had to support herself on her heels to keep steady. The wisp seemed unreachable, but she continued to follow it.

"Where are you going?" she whispered, stumbling over a large chunk of stone. She righted herself without a second thought, eyes still trained on the wisp.

Arianna heard the word just as she felt the ground give beneath her feet, and it echoed in her mind as the feeling of weightlessness overcame her:

"_Home._"

* * *

Do you hate me yet? ;) So like I said, a lot of weird shit going on in this chapter. But hey. It's Middle Earth. Lots of weird shit goes on around there. *shrug* A few things I ought to point out.

_"It is loneliness that makes the loudest noise. This is true of men as of dogs." - _This line that Arianna speaks is actually another one of her quotes. It comes from one Mr. Eric Hoffer; these words are not my words, Arianna simply uses them because she likes to listen to herself say cool shit other people made up. x)

Also, I clearly do not own the poem "The Haunted Palace" by Edgar Allan Poe. I knew from the beginning I wanted Arianna to recite _at least_ one poem for the Fellowship, so while I was writing this chapter, I almost couldn't help but make it that one - it just fit so well! :D But yeah. Defo not mine.

Umm. I think that's about it. As always, feedback and criticism are welcome! I very much hope you enjoyed, and I'll see you next chapter! :D  
xx


	7. Unexpected Ease

Ermmm. Ehehe. I did warn you, didn't I? xD I am so exceedingly sorry for the extreme delay, but you know, school and life and stuff. :| But, never fear! I am now on winter break, and I will be free for the next three months, so updates should be waayyy more frequent than every three-and-a-half months. Enjoy the seventh chapter! :3

* * *

**7.**

"What did you think you were doing?"

Arianna flinched at the anger in Gandalf's gruff voice. She closed her eyes against the verbal barrage.

"Wandering off by yourself, following strange lights and walking off the path? Do you have any idea how serious this is? Had Legolas not been there, you would have fallen to your death!"

"I was just following the wisp," Arianna muttered, casting a sidelong glance towards Legolas. He was standing alongside Gandalf with his arms folded tightly across his chest. His face was smooth and stony, his stormy eyes brewing. "And I would have been fine, even if Legolas hadn't been there!" she added snippily, glaring at the elf.

"You're so sure in yourself that you believe you would have survived falling all the way to the bottom of the cavern?" Legolas said breezily, his voice sharp. "Despite what you may think about yourself, you are not invincible."

"I _don't_ think I'm invincible," she snapped. "That wisp was leading me somewhere!"

"Leading you to your doom," Gandalf interjected.

"Or to my destiny," she quipped right back. "But I guess I'll never know my destiny now; thanks a lot, _Legolas_."

Legolas's eyes narrowed. "You mock me?"

"No shit!"

"That is enough!" Gandalf bellowed. He gripped his staff tightly. "Tell me what was going through your mind, child, little though it may be if it enticed you to walk to your death."

"I told you, I was following the wisp!" Gandalf and Legolas remained quiet, so Arianna sighed and began to explain. "The will-o'-the-wisp? You know, little balls of light that appear to travelers and lead them to their fate? I had just woken up and I was planning on coming back here, but then I heard the wisp. I turned around and it was just floating there! It wanted me to follow it."

"And so, blindly, you went?"

"Well…yeah."

Gandalf sighed, hanging his head and shaking it. "Incorrigible girl."

Arianna huffed a strand of hair out of her face, standing. "Look, I wasn't hurt, all right? No harm, no foul, so can I just–"

"Sit!" Gandalf commanded. Arianna groaned, flopping back down onto the boulder that was serving as her stool of shame. "We cannot risk you wandering off again, therefore, I am putting you under Legolas's protection. You are not to go anywhere without him. Do you understand?"

Arianna's jaw dropped. "Oh, you can't be serious. You're making him my _babysitter_?"

"You clearly cannot be trusted to keep yourself out of trouble. Legolas will be your guardian for the remainder of your journey."

"Oh, and what's he going to do?" Arianna sneered. "Follow me around and slap my hand every time I do something wrong? I'm twenty years old, for fuck's sake! I'm not a child!"

"We'll discuss this no further. From now on, you will do nothing without Legolas's leave."

Arianna felt like she'd just been grounded as Gandalf hobbled off, shaking his head and muttering. She sat for a moment, dumbfounded, until her senses came back to her. Legolas was still standing before her, looking exasperated. Arianna wanted to snap at him, to make some frigid, witty comeback, but she couldn't manage it. She recalled her situation with Boromir: she wasn't stupid enough to repeat her mistakes. So, as much as she wanted to take a shot at Legolas, she bit her tongue.

"…I'm sorry," she muttered instead. "I don't mean to be so unbearable."

"Unbearable is a strong word," Legolas commented softly. "I believe grievously unfettered is a more appropriate term."

"Again, I'm almost certain that statement doesn't conform to your vow of princely gentility."

"It is only the truth, my lady. You are free-spirited, so much so that it can get you into trouble during dark times as these."

"So I've noticed," Arianna muttered irritably, resting her cheek on the heel of her palm. They let the silence linger for a few beats, and then Legolas made his way over to her. He sat beside her silently, resting his elbows on his knees and lacing his fingers.

"Gandalf spoke with me while you were gone," he admitted quietly.

"What did he say?"

Legolas gave a small smile. "He told me that some things are better left alone. It was not a particularly long conversation."

Arianna frowned, pausing to think for a moment. "Wait!" she cried, laughing as it hit her. "He told you to mind your own damn business?"

"Yes, he did." Legolas chuckled. "I apologize again for pressing you for information. It was not my place, and I assure you, it will not happen again."

Arianna smiled. "I'll forgive you, if you forgive me."

"I would be a fool not to take such an offer."

Arianna sighed with relief. "Good." She picked at her fingernails, frowning. "Since we're friends again, um, do you think I could ask you a question?"

"Of course, Arianna."

Arianna smiled at Legolas's use of her name without a ridiculous title. "The wisp," she began curiously, "where do you think it was taking me?"

Legolas's brow furrowed. "I'm afraid that's a question I cannot answer. You said you believe this _wisp_ was leading you to your destiny?"

Arianna nodded. "That's what they do. In my world, that's what they're known for. Wisps lead you to where you need to go."

"Well, it seems the wisps in this world are not quite so generous."

Arianna gave a dry laugh, wrapping her arms around herself. "Still," she mused, "I wonder what was at the end of that drop."

"Some things are better left alone."

Arianna turned to Legolas, her expression dropping. "Don't be a smartass," she demanded dryly.

Legolas gave a hint of a smile. "My apologies. It was only a jest. I think perhaps it would be best if you did not dwell on such thoughts, though. You have too much on your mind as it is; you need no other burdens."

"You're telling me to just forget it?" Arianna asked disbelievingly. "How can I do that? I mean, what if I see another one?"

"I daren't advise you to forget it. Simply put it out of your mind for the moment. There are more important things to worry about down here." Arianna bit her tongue, worried that she might reveal something if she weren't careful. Legolas really had no idea how right he was. "And if you are to see another one of these wisps, then I must beseech you – do not follow it again."

Arianna stared at him, worrying her lower lip. Don't follow it? He really expected her to do that? How would she ever find out what she was doing in Middle Earth? Sure, Galadriel and Elrond might be able to help, but these were _wisps_. This was literally their job, their purpose, the reason for their existence. Arianna was a strong believer in the supernatural, and she wasn't about to deny what that meant. She saw that wisp for a reason.

"You are torn," Legolas noted.

"I _have_ to follow it," Arianna said quietly, turning away and hanging her head. She picked at her fingers, noticing how her nails had grown and how her polish had chipped. "What if it's trying to tell me something really important?"

"Arianna," Legolas began, resting a hand on her knee, "it nearly led you to your death. Do you really think it wise to trust these things that you barely understand?"

"What else can I trust?!" Arianna snapped. "I don't understand _anything_ in this world!" She felt her throat tighten, and she swallowed hard, breathing through her nose.

Arianna felt Legolas's soft fingers tip her chin up, and she averted her eyes. She was close to crying, and she knew her eyes must be red and swollen and fully unattractive.

"You can trust _us_." Half-heartedly, Arianna brought her gaze back to him, looking through lowered lashes at his vibrant eyes. "We are here to help you, and we intend to see you safely to Lothlórien at all costs."

_At all costs. _

The words echoed in Arianna's mind, gnawing at her conscience. So many things could hide behind those three simple words; so many sacrifices could be made in their honor. Arianna didn't deserve it, nor was it something she desired. She tried to shake away the feeling of sadness that trickled into the front of her thoughts: in just a few days, Gandalf would fall. She stared at Legolas, trying to probe his mind. Would he be angry with her? Would he be angry that she hadn't told anyone about Gandalf's fate? Would he understand if she told him it was essential, something that needed to happen for the greater good of Middle Earth?

Arianna gave a small smile. Somehow, she doubted it. "Thank you, Legolas. I'm glad to be here with you…all of you."

* * *

"What's that sound?" Arianna looked around, her whisper echoing through the cavern.

Frodo perked up, listening intently for a moment. "It sounds like rain," he commented lightly. "Rain against the stone above."

Arianna sighed as she popped another berry into her mouth. "Great." She hated rain, almost as much as she hated snow and the cold. Almost as much as she hated eating berries all day. Almost as much as she hated walking in the dark and stumbling over rocks and dead Dwarf parts. Almost as much as she hated not shaving, and almost as much as she hated that with each passing second, Gandalf's death was drawing nearer and nearer.

"How long have we been down here?" Arianna piped up, trying to calm her agitated thoughts. She'd been tense and snippy for hours, and she was trying her hardest not to let it show.

"Far too long." She glanced at Legolas, who was examining his surroundings with wary eyes.

Gimli grumbled in the back of his throat. "Near on three days, lassie. We ought to be close to the other side of the mountain."

Three days. That meant things would culminate soon. Within the next few hours, they would encounter the tomb of Balin and the goblins. Arianna let out a shaky breath, nodding. She could do this – she could. All she had to do was…stay out of the way? She frowned. Could she really do that? Did she honestly trust herself not to try and do something, to help in _some_ way? I mean, at the very least, she could throw some rocks or something, couldn't she?

Arianna shivered, wrapping her arms around herself after she'd finished her meal. It had grown progressively colder over the past three days, and she was still desperately underdressed. She couldn't wait to be in Lothlórien, where there would be clothes and blankets and maybe even warm water. She sniffled a bit, the tip of her nose cold. She could feel goosebumps crawling up and down her skin, and she rubbed her arms vigorously, trying to warm herself.

"Are you cold?"

"Nope, just like touching myself."

Frodo frowned. "I wish we could help you," he admitted quietly. "You suffer more than any of us."

Arianna looked up, surprised. "Me?" she whispered with a laugh. "You think I'm suffering? What about you?"

Frodo seemed to take the question to heart, thinking for a while before responding. "I chose my own fate," he said quietly. "Yours seemed to be chosen for you."

_Yeah, and whoever chose it sure did a shitty job. _

Arianna sniffled, cupping her hands over her face and breathing into them. There was no warmth underground, and three days of frigid temperatures wasn't doing much for her health. She could feel her throat becoming raw, and she was starting to get a scratchy cough. Her body ached, but she could hardly tell if it was from sickness or exhaustion. She frowned. The last thing she needed was to get sick. _Come on, immune system. You can hold out for a few more days._

They began moving again, and Arianna entertained herself by reciting folk tales about old fox gods in her head. She could only distract herself so much, though, and the cool air and echoing footsteps were constant reminders of a reality that she was scared to face. Her stomach began to twist as they began to ascend into a widening cavern, the air becoming less and less stifling with every step they took. She picked up her pace, pulling forward to stand behind Legolas. She held her arms, worrying her lower lip. Her heart began to beat faster. She wasn't sure how, but somehow, she could feel it: they were close. Sure enough, a few more feet and they all followed Gandalf down the small pathway that opened up into the expanse of Dwarrowdelf.

"Behold," Gandalf said, "the great realm and Dwarf city of Dwarrowdelf."

Arianna's mouth dropped open in absolute awe. An overwhelming feeling burst through her, burning through every nerve-ending, making her fingertips tingle. It was indescribable: the pillars, seeming taller than the mountain beneath which they were reared as she stood at their base; the long walkway that was laid before her feet, seeming never to end as it tapered off into a horizon of darkness; the light from Gandalf's staff gave an ethereal glow to the already otherworldly chamber, echoes of soft light playing off the stone and illuminating the face of an elf as he stood to her right, resting a gentle hand on the small of her back.

"It's like magic," Arianna whispered, her hands falling limply to her sides. "It's unreal." _But it's so…empty. _She spoke softly, but her voice echoed in the enormous cavern, carrying in circles around her head.

Arianna was knocked out of her stupor when Gimli let out a cry. He began jogging over to where a door hung open by its last hinge, black arrows stuck in its timbers. Arianna could see the shadows of two goblin skeletons strewn around the opening, all bones and broken armor. They followed Gimli as he ran, pouring into the small room. Arianna stopped dead in the middle of the doorway, the last to enter. So here it was at last: Balin's tomb. And it looked exactly like she'd imagined: the tomb was in the direct middle, moonlight pouring in on the inscription. Bodies were everywhere, all sorts of bodies of Dwarves and goblins, all pieces and parts full of throwing axes and broken arrow shafts. She closed her eyes and hung her head, fisting her hands at her sides. Her heart began to pound in her chest, the pressure choking her. She could hear Gimli's cries, his pain as he realized that his cousin was gone forever. She heard the shuffling, heard the dry pages fall from the old binding of the large book. Gandalf read aloud, and Arianna jumped when she felt a hand on her cheek.

"You fear," Legolas said softly. He tipped her head up with a nudge of his finger. "Why?"

Arianna swallowed hard. She could hear Gandalf in the background, and she said nothing. Legolas would know in seconds what she had known since they had entered the mines. She brought her eyes up to Legolas's as Gandalf read those last, hastily scrawled words.

"They are coming."

The echo of armor crashing down the well resounded throughout the mines, and Arianna flinched. Legolas immediately turned his attention back to the others, who were all standing in various states of horror. Arianna looked over to poor Pippin, who had the decency to look more than a little ashamed. The bashing stopped, lingering only in the lowest caverns, and Gandalf yanked his things away from Pippin.

"Fool of a Took! Throw yourself in next time and rid us of your stupidity!"

Arianna took a shuddering breath, moving into the room quickly and looking around for a salvageable weapon. Despite what she thought, it wasn't going well. In her quick glances, all she could see were shambled arrows and broken axe blades, the occasional wooden handle laying uselessly on stone. She turned when she heard the sharp sound of a blade being drawn. Legolas stood before her solemnly, holding out one of his knives.

The drumming began, and Arianna's heart jumped into her throat.

"Use it only if you must." Legolas pressed the blade into her hands. Arianna tried to shove it away, opening her mouth to insist that he would need it, but Legolas gave her a stern look. "Stay close to the hobbits," he ordered, curling her hands over the hilt of the blade. His eyes softened as he felt them trembling like the leaves in autumn. "We will look after you."

Arianna nodded slowly. She heard the far-off screeches of goblins and closed her eyes, feeling tears of fear wet the back of her eyelids. Legolas rested a warm hand on her cheek. She opened her eyes, eyelashes damp. "Eyes and ears sharp," he reminded her, recalling what she'd told him before they entered the mines.

Arianna nodded, swallowing at the lump in her throat. "Eyes and ears sharp," she repeated wetly, her voice breaking. Legolas nodded and stepped away, drawing an arrow and nocking it. Arianna moved with timid feet to stand beside the hobbits, the blade heavy and awkward in her hands. She'd never held a weapon before in her life, and it was unnerving to the point that she was tempted to throw it away. _But I'd like to survive these mines_, she thought wildly. _So maybe not the best idea. God, it's so weird, though. How do I even work this thing? Just…thrust? _Her knees shook, and Arianna watched as the door jumped with the forces of the assault it was now under. Her lip quivered as wood splintered, a crooked sword peeking through the gap. Aragorn and Legolas fired arrows, and a shriek of pain was pulled from the goblin on the other side.

"I'm gonna' die," Arianna whispered. "They're going to come in, and I'm going to throw up and die."

Arianna screamed as the door crashed open, goblins flooding into the small room. She took several terrified steps backward, tripping over she didn't want to know what and falling onto her backside. She watched as the hobbits rushed forward with bellows, weaving into the throng of battle. The entire room was chaos – nothing but chaos to her. Snorts and snarls, the _clink_ and _shink_ of sword on sword, the blunt _clunk_ of shield on metal, the hollow thuds of dead bodies. She gripped the handle of Legolas's knife, standing shakily. So far, nothing seemed to have noticed her. The others were keeping the goblins at bay up in the front of the room, but she knew it was only a matter of time. She took a deep breath, readying herself. Okay. Not so hard. Like Jackie Chan said: "You hit him, don't let him hit you."

Arianna screamed again when the felt the skin of her cheek split open again. She ducked on instinct, taking a hand off the hilt of the blade and clutching at her face. What the _fuck_ was that? An arrow? She hadn't even seen it! She stood, warm blood seeping through her fingers. She glared towards the front of the room, where she picked out a solitary goblin standing just inside the doorway, holding a bow and wearing a sadistic grin. She was so focused on him that she nearly missed the one coming straight towards her, limping as he raised his sword to strike. Arianna let out a yelp as she stumbled out of his way. His sword came down on the ground beside her, sending sparks across her foot. He let out a loud screech, spinning around and swinging again. Arianna dodged, swallowing hard. These things were terrifying, but not all that quick. She took a breath and, when she saw an opening, swung her blade down with all her might.

The goblin snapped its teeth as the blade swung by his shoulder, and Arianna nearly lost her grip on the handle because her hands were so sweaty. He made another move towards her, thrusting his sword at her middle. She managed to dodge it, but just barely: the fabric of her shirt split as the sword passed through it, and Arianna took in a deep breath. The corners of her eyes went dark, and her eyelids fluttered. Everything suddenly felt hot again, and her upper lip began to sweat. She swallowed thickly, and for a moment, everything seemed to lose all color. Her eyes swung straight ahead, and the goblin stood posed before her, swinging as if in slow motion. She side-stepped again, so smoothly that she barely felt her body move. Every one of her senses seemed on high alert, and by the time her ears stopped ringing and her body became heavy with adrenaline again, the monster was lying dead at her feet.

Arianna stumbled back, knocking into another goblin and swinging the blade in her hand at it blindly. A large gash stretched across its abdomen by happy chance. A low hiss came from its mouth as it placed a hand to the wound, falling to its knees before collapsing face-first into the stone. Arianna heard a mighty roar, and she turned her head just in time to see the large cave troll falling forward into the debris of dead bodies. The ground shook and she nearly stumbled; she dropped the blade in her hands out of sheer shock, eyes wide as the thunder of its fall echoed throughout the room. Things calmed, and then as quickly as it had begun, it was over.

"Just like that," she whispered, shell-shocked. She heard someone call Frodo's name and frowned. She wanted to go to him, but the knowledge that he was fine and the fact that she felt like she might fall over at any moment stopped her. Shaking, she bent down to retrieve Legolas's knife. She held in a loose grip and began to make her way to the rest of the Fellowship on numb feet. Her brow was spotted with sweat, and she could feel a light breeze against her mid-drift as air rushed through the gash in her shirt. "It's over," she continued in a daze. "Just like that."

* * *

Ugh. Struggles. I am so incredibly bad at writing action sequences. I hope it wasn't too shite. D;

As always, I hope you enjoyed, and please drop me a review! I _love_ your feedback! :) Until next time! xx


	8. Of Dresses and Dicks

Hello, again, my valiant and patient readers! :D Your support has tipped this story's review count just over one hundred, and for that, I would like to thank you - from the bottom of my heart! I am so truly honored. I do this all for you! (...Okay, it's for me, too - but mostly for you!) The most common thing I see among the reviews is that so many of you enjoy Arianna's character, and I am exceedingly happy for that! I am always aiming to improve my character writing, and the fact that so many of you find her enjoyable, believable, and non-Sure is a wonderful! :) So thank you for that, and thank you all for your continued support. Every read, every like, every favorite and review warms my heart every time I see it! I hope you all enjoy the next chapter!

* * *

**8. **

Arianna's heart thundered as they ran down the long foyer. Tears fell freely from her eyes as she heard the clatter and scutter of the goblins' armor. She was trailing the end of the line, the stitch in her side making it difficult to run. The cuts on both of her cheeks were burning, and she felt lightheaded. With all the activity, she thought she should be hot – sweating – but she felt cold and clammy all over.

"Arianna!"

Legolas fell back, pushing her in front of him and guarding the rear of the line. She stumbled over her feet, flailing as she righted herself, her head spinning. From the corner of her eye, she saw hoards of goblins crawling down the great stone pillars, landing on the ground and shuffling towards them. Her breath seized, and she willed her legs to move further. Her head throbbed, her eyes burned, and she collapsed to her knees when the Fellowship suddenly halted, surrounded on all sides. Her entire body was shaking, and sounds were blurring in and out of her ears, a heaviness coming over her senses. She watched as the hobbits shuffled about her, wielding their weapons and nervous faces. She struggled to keep a firm grip on her own weapon, but she felt weak. So weak.

_Jesus_, she thought wearily. _Now is not the time._

"My lady?" She felt Sam's sweaty hand against her forehead. "You're ill."

"M'fine," she mumbled. She stood on shaky legs, circling her eyes. The goblins were snapping their teeth and jabbing their weapons threateningly. Her stomach dropped. This was more frightening than she had imagined; even though she knew they wouldn't get the chance to attack, they were still ugly, horrific things when they leered at you, and her mood wasn't tempered by the fact that she also remembered things were about to get a lot worse.

Just as the thought passed through her mind, she heard it: the hollow, cracking roar that echoed through the grand hall. The goblins lost their animosity, and began to look around nervously. Another roar sent them scattering, flying back up the pillars and into deep, far-off holes. Arianna wanted to fall to her knees again. More tears began to slip down her cheeks, the saltwater causing her cuts to sting even more. The wounds were bleeding openly, red and enflamed, causing her face to throb uncomfortably. She hung her head. They were about to encounter the monster, the one that the Dwarves awoke long ago: Durin's Bane.

"What is this new devilry?" Boromir whispered. Arianna saw him tighten the grip on his sword.

Gandalf sighed, leaning forward on his staff. He seemed to age millennia in that one moment. Arianna saw that his face dropped, his eyes closed as if he were remembering some long-forgotten hurt. _I wonder if it's because it was once like him…_

"A Balrog: a demon of the ancient world," he answered darkly. Arianna watched as the doorway behind them began to glow eerily, the fire lighting up the cavern. "This foe is beyond any of you…Run!"

She heard the words, but as the others turned, she found that she couldn't move. Her mind had gone fuzzy; the fire was the only thing that seemed to register. She could feel the air becoming warmer, and something in her heart pulled, stealing her breath. The echo of light grew larger, and Arianna felt the pull in her heart call her to pursue it. Her legs began to move slowly, her feet barely leaving the ground as she shuffled forward.

_Power… _The deep, grating voice floated through her mind. She registered surprise, but she didn't act on it. There was no instinctual shock, no recognizable hesitation in her mind. _Mine, _it called. Even now, when she couldn't yet see it, the ground shook with the Balrog's heavy footfalls. Arianna noticed that she was matching the monster, step-for-step. With every rumble of the stone, she moved herself unsteadily forward. Why was she walking towards it?

She heard it then. Her ears blurred, cancelling out all sound but the one: the tiny echo of its bell-chime voice. The wisp appeared before her, floating and persuading as it gently begged her forward. A ghost of a smile slipped across her face. She moved forward again, her feet heavy with every step, her legs like lead as she slid them across the stone. The familiar feeling of weightlessness overwhelmed her senses – things were slow, moving leisurely, calming her as she walked towards the set of black, flaming toes that appeared inside the large doorway.

"Arianna!"

"Wha?" She jerked back, her mind returning. Time seemed to pick back up, and before she knew it, she was being dragged back, forced to run at top speed away from the Balrog as it finally stepped through the large door and gave a mighty roar that nearly turned her legs to jelly. They caught up to the group, and Aragorn released her arm as he pushed her forward. She continued running, blindly following the feet in front of her. Her mind was swimming again, the edges of her vision going black. _What was that?_ She thought wildly. _What the fuck was I thinking?!_

Arianna nearly tripped over Merry as the hobbits all abruptly stopped running, and she watched with baited breath as Legolas caught Boromir from taking a swan dive off the edge of the stairs. _Déjà vu_, she thought wryly, rolling her eyes.

"Lead them on, Aragorn. The bridge is near."

Arianna turned, her eyes widening as she took in the silhouette of the Bridge of Khazad-dûm, their only way out. The thin strip of stone made her stomach flip onto its back and sink down to her toes. It wasn't that she was scared of heights, more of the fact that if she fell off that ungodly thing they had the nerve to try and call a bridge – well, she'd be falling for a long time. She shook those thoughts away as they hurried down the stairs, Legolas jumping the small gap and motioning for the others to follow. Gandalf was next, and Arianna yelped when she heard an arrow whiz by her ear. _Shit, I forgot about them_. She turned, barely making out the goblin archers that targeted them from above.

"Arianna!"

"What? Ahh!" Arianna flailed as she felt herself being hauled off her feet and tossed through the air. "You asshole!" she called to Boromir. She grunted as Legolas caught her in strong arms, planting her on her feet without a second thought as he turned back to the others. She held her forehead, trying to recover herself. _He should warn a person before he throws them around like a sack of potatoes! _Arianna stumbled as the stone shook from the impact against the stairs. She turned to see Frodo and Aragorn scrambling away from the crumbling steps they were standing on. Arianna clasped her hands in front of her chest, squeezing them tightly. Nerves and anxiousness caused her shoulders to tense. She coughed a little into her intertwined fingers and frowned. When had her throat become so raw?

"Move!"

"Moving!"

They ran. Arianna stumbled. The stairs were steep and narrow, and her shoes were pinching. She tripped on her feet, on rocks, nipped at the heels of the others. Her face was flushed and she could hardly see from the dim light of Gandalf's staff. She coughed again as they fled, the air becoming thick and hot. _He's right under us! Right underneath us! I can feel it; the ground is hot._ Her chest ached as she coughed harshly, the smell of smoke suddenly overpowering her. _We're close to the bridge. We can make it!_

"Over the bridge! Fly!"

The fire erupted up from a chasm, and she skirted a blast, shrieking. The heat licked at her skin. She slowed, taking cautious steps behind Pippin as she tried her level best to put one foot in front of the other without tumbling off the edge of the bridge, but it was difficult. She was dizzy and exhausted, and the smoke that caked the air was slipping into her lungs with every breath she took. She felt cold and hot at the same time, and then there were moments when she realized she could hardly feel anything at all. She planted her hands firmly on the stone of the mountain when she reached the other side, breathing a sigh. She let her forehead fall onto the stone, the sounds of arrows and the roar of fire fading out. Her knees knocked together. She dropped. Her forehead dragged against the rock and she groaned. Everything in her body was on fire.

_What's happening?_ she thought lethargically. _What is this? _Arianna blinked blearily, her vision blurring. _Is that…the ceiling?_

"…anna…"

She felt and didn't feel a hand place itself on her numb face. Her head lulled to the side, and she made out Pippin's face in the blur of colors that looked over her.

"Gandalf," she gasped, trying to sit up. She couldn't remember how she'd gotten on her back. "Save Gandalf." She winced, her body refusing to move more than a few inches. _Gotta…save him. I can. Just need…time…_

Strong arms underneath her replaced Pippin's face, and she whispered the name at the same time she heard it echo through the cavern in a desperate cry:

"Gandalf."

* * *

Arianna felt fuzzy and cool as she came to, twisting onto her side and feeling something damp slide off her forehead. She whined quietly, tangling her fingers in soft sheets and burying herself underneath. She felt tired and slow, and she refused to open her heavy eyelids to the light she felt on her exposed skin. She focused her mind and pushed away thoughts, desperate to go back to the first peaceful sleep she'd had in ages. When she felt a hand begin to tug at the blanket around her forehead, she frowned.

"If you have any sense of self-preservation, you'll fuck off."

A familiar chuckle met her ears. "I'm glad to hear you back in such high spirits." Huffing, Arianna flipped the covers off her head, squinting as the light invaded her eyes. She blinked them into focus, Legolas's face slowly taking shape. His face was clean and fresh, his eyes bright and his lips turned up into a small smile. "Welcome back."

Arianna let out a wide yawn, rubbing at her eye with a closed fist. "Back from where?" she posed tiredly. "Why am I in a bed? Are we in Lothlórien? What happened?"

Legolas held a hand up to silence any further questions. He looked solemn as he moved to lace his hands together, elbows resting on his knees. "You fell grievously ill and collapsed in the mines as we were escaping. You have been burning with fever for three days."

He had gotten her attention. She sat up quickly, eyes wide. "Three days? Are you kidding me-ee…" Arianna gripped her skull as her head rushed, causing her temples to throb.

"You mustn't strain yourself." Legolas placed a hand on her lower back and eased her down onto the bed. "You still are not fully healed."

Arianna moved the heel of her palm onto her forehead, pressing hard as she willed the painful feeling away. "Fully healed from what?" she ground out, rubbing some of the tension from her brow.

"As I said," Legolas sighed. "You fell incredibly ill. The crossing of Caradhras was difficult on your body; you nearly caught your death of cold, and you had not fully healed before we descended into Moria. You became exhausted. Your body could not handle the strain." His brow creased and he paused.

"What?" Arianna prompted quietly. "What is it?"

"I apologize," he said softly. "You were put under my charge. I did not look after you as I should have."

Arianna raised a brow. "What? You think," she asked softly, "this is your fault?"

"I am the one who found you, and therefore, I am responsible for you. It was inexcusable to allow your condition to become so serious."

Arianna cocked her head. "Hey," she said. When his attention moved from his hands to her face, Arianna grinned, reaching up to give him a light slap to the side of his temple. She snickered at his affronted look. "Don't be a doof. It wasn't your fault. I got sick. Things happen. Don't beat yourself up."

Legolas offered her a teasing smile. "I believe you're the one who is beating."

"Har har," Arianna responded, rolling her eyes. There was a moment of silence, and Arianna wondered what had happened after she'd collapsed in the mines. _Gandalf must be gone by now_, she thought sadly. She looked to the side and twisted her fingers anxiously. What should she do? _Part of me wants to tell him_, she thought, glancing quickly up at Legolas. He was regarding her with a fragment of curiosity. _But I shouldn't. _"How are the others?" she posed instead.

"Well," he said evenly. "They've been quite glad for a moment of peace."

"And you?" she continued.

"I have never visited Lothlórien before, but I am happy to be among my kin."

_He isn't saying anything about it,_ she realized. _He's not even going to mention it… _Arianna recalled the scene from the movie, where Legolas admitted that the grief of Gandalf's death was "still too near." _Is that why he isn't talking about it? He's still upset? _Should_ I tell him that Gandalf comes back? I mean, I don't think him just knowing that would change anything _too_ drastically…would it?_

Arianna sighed, her head spinning. She suddenly felt confused and dizzy and overwhelmed, her heart thundering in her ears. She let out a quiet gasp, squeezing her eyes shut and twisting the covers in her hand. "Calm yourself, Arianna," she heard Legolas say kindly. "Your mind needs as much rest as your body." His cool hand came to rest on her cheek, and despite herself, she leaned into the touch. "You still have a mild fever," Legolas noted. "I should find Lady Maerwen."

"My mind is fine," Arianna insisted. "Can I please sit back up?" Lying in bed wasn't something she was particularly fond of. Legolas stared at her for a moment before removing his hand and helping her sit back up. She sighed, shaking a hand through her hair. "So what's the plan, then?" she asked.

"We are resting for now," Legolas said. "Recovering strength and supplies. I do not know how long we'll stay."

_I do. _Arianna nodded. "So…this Lady Maerwen…?"

"She's been attending to you since we arrived. She is one of Lothlórien's most accomplished healers."

"And how pissed do you think she'd be if I abandoned my death bed?"

"I imagine being confined to a bed is not a thought that appeals to you?" Legolas asked teasingly.

"Not in the slightest," Arianna confirmed, throwing off her covers. She blinked, picking at the thin white fabric that was riding up her legs. "Is this typical sick person sleepwear here in Middle Earth?"

"The hand maidens have taken your clothes to be cleaned. I can bring you a gown if you'd like to change."

"A gown?" she asked in distaste. "Can't I have some shorts?"

"I assume that is what you call those desperately inadequate trousers you were wearing before?"

Arianna rolled her eyes. "Those '_desperately inadequate trousers_' are comfortable as fuck. Come on. Please don't put me in a dress."

Legolas gave her a very forward look. "Why? I believe you'd look quite nice in a gown."

If she had been drinking anything, she'd have probably spit it out. Flushing, she cleared her throat. "Sorry to disappoint, but that is entirely not the case. I look like a tit in dresses."

Legolas merely smiled, standing and straightening his tunic. "I'll be back."

Arianna huffed, her bangs floating about her forehead before dropping back into her eyes. She folded her arms as she watched Legolas exit the room, her eyes lingering on his backside for a long moment before she realized what she was doing and turned her focus to the floor, picking idly at the fabric of the covers. _He has quite a nice butt..._ she thought reluctantly. _I guess I can't say I'm surprised. He's a warrior, he works out, takes care of himself – of course he's going to have a nice ass! I bet he looks damn good naked. Hmm, he's all ready washed, and I missed it because I was passed out. Maybe I can catch him while we're running across Rohan – wait a minute, am I really plotting to catch Legolas bathing? Just to see him naked? Jesus, Arianna, get it together. I know this is because I haven't been laid in a while. I knew I should have taken up that guy at the party—_

"The party!"

"What party?" Arianna startled. She turned to Legolas and noticed the fabric draped across his arms: a shimmering off-white gown that looked more elegant than anything she'd ever seen in her life.

She dismissed the dress for the moment. "The party that I was at. I was at a party. I just remembered! The night before I…appeared here. I went to a party and I met this guy." She had forgotten all about it, with the shock of landing in Middle Earth and then being thrown right into the Fellowship's adventure. She struggled to recall the memories. "He came on to me, and then on my way home…"

* * *

Arianna stumbled, laughing loudly as she bent forward, her hair falling from the loose bun she'd put it in. She placed her hands on Sebastian's arms as he wrapped them around her midsection, steadying her.

"Little Arianna sure loves her rum," Danny sang sloppily. "Give her a drink, but don't let her run! Stumble and bumble, little girl can't walk, now if only the rum would make her not talk!"

Arianna laughed again, throwing a careless kick in Danny's direction. "Dick," she called.

"Hey, is she all right?"

Arianna paused, standing up straight and swaying a bit as she searched for the source of the familiar voice. She spotted him a few steps ahead, leaning against the brick wall and smoking what smelled to be a menthol. "Hey!" she said loudly. "You hit on me!"

He smiled, blowing out a large breath of smoke. "Can you blame me?" He turned to Remy. "She's pretty drunk. You guys okay to take care of her?"

"Perfectly," Remy responded shortly. Being as it was his turn to be DD, he was the only sober one. "You don't have to worry about us."

"Oh, I'm not worried about you," the boy responded cheekily. "Just _her_. The world's got plans for her. Can't have her getting into any accidents tonight."

"Who's got plans for me?" Arianna whispered to Sebastian. "Who's whirled?"

Sebastian snorted, rolling his eyes. "The world," he repeated. "The world has plans for you. Big plans. You're going to fix cancer. Apparently this guy is an supernatural being – he works with the Fates!"

Arianna's eyes widened, her mouth dropping open. "Really?"

Sebastian snorted. "No! He's an asshole." He took a moment to glare at the mysterious youth before pushing Arianna along, walking her forward as he held her waist. "Come on, guys. Let's get Little Bit to the car."

"Make sure she gets to bed safely." He took another drag before dropping it to the ground and toeing it out. "She'll need a good night's sleep…"

* * *

"He was so sketch…" Arianna finished quietly. "And those things he said…"

"It is indeed suspicious," Legolas admitted. He had taken his seat by her bedside again, his brow furrowing as he mused.

"Could he have known, though?" Arianna asked. "Or," she started, her eyes widening. "Could he be the reason I'm here? Did he do this to me? Did he send me here?" She squeezed her eyes shut, placing the heels of her palms on her forehead. "How could I have forgotten about that?! Stupid!" She knocked her head with her hands, sighing out her frustrations.

"Arianna." She felt Legolas's cool hands wrap around her wrists, stopping her assault on her head. "Calm yourself."

"I just—I can't believe I missed that. He was so creepy, and now it all makes sense! He had something to do with this, I just know it!"

"Arianna."

"He must be magic. I bet he was working for Sauron! No, maybe not – I would have appeared somewhere else if he was. Maybe he was a wizard!"

"Arianna."

"Maybe he knows why I'm here. Maybe if I can find him – no, that won't work will it? He was in my world. Maybe if Gandalf—"

"Arianna!"

Her voice wavered as she turned to Legolas with wide eyes. She had never heard him raise his voice like that before. She blinked, turning her gaze to his hands, which were still wrapped firmly around her wrists. She took a shuddering breath. "Sorry," she gasped. "Sorry."

"It's all right," he said quietly. "But please, calm yourself." He moved one hand back up to her forehead.

"Will you _stop_ checking my temperature?" Arianna said emphatically. "I'm fine!"

"I am only worried for your well-being," Legolas said.

"I know," Arianna said, exasperated. "I just—_ugh_." She flopped back onto the bed, tears of frustration burning her eyes. She covered her face with her hands, rubbing her cheeks roughly.

"Arianna," Legolas began cautiously, "may I give you some advice?"

"Yes, you may. Thank you for asking."

"I know you're eager to find out the reason for your appearance in our world, but perhaps instead of pursuing it, you might let it come to you?"

Arianna stared at him for a long moment, letting the thought sink in. It was reasonable advice; it's not like she could go after something when she had no idea what it was, and so far, her attempts to figure out what was going on had failed miserably.

"...I'll try to stop stressing about it."

Legolas smiled, nodding. "Good. I do not like to see you so upset." He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

Arianna swallowed thickly, fighting back a blush. "I should…get changed."

"Of course. I will wait outside."

Arianna made a point to avoid watching Legolas leave this time, dropping out of bed smoothly. She took a deep breath, stretching her wobbly legs as she became re-accustomed to standing. She shook out of her hair, fiddling with the thin medical gown as she tugged it over her head. The breeze rushed across her skin, and she rubbed her hands along her arms, hoping to create some warm friction. She smiled. _Ahh, smooth as a baby._

"Wait," she said out loud. "What the fuck?" She ran her fingers along her arms, feeling the smooth skin slide delicately under her touch. She frowned. "When did – how…"

She tugged the dress that Legolas had gathered for her over her head, shimmying into the bodice. She hummed in thought, noticing that even though the dress was sleeveless (a welcome surprise) it fit her perfectly, snug against her breast and comfortably loose as it surrounded her waist and legs. She spotted her boots at the side of her bed and tugged them on quickly, hurrying out of the flet.

She gathered the dress in her hands, unused to the fabric swimming around her legs. She doubted that she would be able to handle all the excess fabric hanging about her feet. She wrinkled her nose as she stepped up to Legolas, who was waiting for her at the top of a set of towering stairs.

"You look beautiful."

Arianna let a gentle blush slip across her cheeks. "Yeah, all right. Can we just get down these stairs? I want to go see my hobbits." Legolas smiled and offered his arm, and Arianna looped her own through it. "So how high up are we?" she asked as they began to make their descent.

"Fairly high. The mallorn of Lórien are ancient; they've grown quite tall."

Arianna peered over the edge of the winding stairs, swallowing lightly and gripping Legolas's bicep tighter. "No kidding. Aren't they ever scared of falling off?"

Legolas chuckled. "We Elves are not quite as clumsy as you," he commented, giving her a sidelong glance, his eyes alight with mirth.

Arianna stuck her tongue out in response. "My center of balance—"

"Or lack of same," Legolas interjected.

"—is just a bit askew! There's nothing wrong with that."

"Not until you fall face-first into a large pile of snow." Legolas smiled. "I remember you being very irritated at your lack of balance then."

"I'll show you irritated," Arianna mumbled. She quieted as she caught sight of a group of Elves floating up the stairs, passing Legolas and herself. She took them in, nearly mesmerized by the way the glided up the steps, tall and straight-backed, pale skin stretching across their sharp faces. Their eyes lingered on her as they passed, too. She saw a brunette elf incline his head towards her. She returned the gesture, offering a small smile. _Elves are so pretty…_

"Firverior," Legolas said quietly once the Elves had moved on.

"Wha?" Arianna turned to look at him, shaken out of a near daze.

"His name is Firverior," Legolas explained. "He took quite an interest in you when we first arrived."

"He did?" Arianna turned back around, looking at the empty space where the Elves had been. "Why?"

"I couldn't say." Legolas's smile had dropped; he was wearing an impassive face. "I have turned him away from your bedside three times in as many days."

"He came to visit me?" Arianna asked. "Why the hell would he do that?"

"As I said: he has taken an interest in you."

"Well, that's…flattering?"

"Is it?" Legolas returned. He gave her a curious look, raising his brows.

"I don't know. Maybe?"

He nodded his head once, slowly. "I would make a request of you, but I am afraid that it might offend your impressive independence."

"Try me."

Legolas paused on the steps, turning to Arianna and giving her a serious look. "The customs in this world are, I imagine, much different than your own. I only ask…" he hesitated, as if nervous to proceed, "that you don't wander."

Arianna cocked her head to the side. "That's it? _Don't wander_?"

"What I mean to say," Legolas rephrased, "is that it is improper for a woman of status to go unescorted. If you were to run into Firverior without one of the Fellowship company…"

Arianna blinked. "Oh, my god," she said slowly. "Are you asking me not to be alone with him?!"

"In a manner of speaking."

"So, you're back to being my babysitter?" she accused, narrowing her eyes.

"Arianna, please." _God damn the way he says my name. Stupid elf…_ "I only ask that you try to honor the customs of this world. We are guests in Lothlórien. And," he continued, "call me what you will, but I am still your guardian while you are with us. It is proper for a man to ask a woman's guardian to accompany her." Legolas's eyes narrowed. "Firverior has elected to ignore that convention thus far."

Arianna rolled your eyes. "So you're mad that he's not recognized you as the Big Dick in Charge?"

Legolas took a moment, his brow furrowing. "Dick?" he repeated.

"Oh, for the love of—penis! Dick is slang for male genitalia! Jesus Christ, I need to write you up a dictionary."

Legolas cleared his throat, and Arianna was surprised to see his cheeks take on a bit of color. "You continue to surprise me," he said, a hint of embarrassment in his voice.

"You want surprise? I can draw one for you," Arianna said wickedly, grinning.

Legolas's eyes widened. "That won't be necessary."

Arianna laughed, tugging Legolas on down the stairs. "Fine, fine. You win. I'll give you this one. If he swaggers up to me and starts turning on the charm, I'll direct him to you. Now, take me to the others! I'm sure they're all miserable without my sparkling personality brightening their spirits!"

* * *

Finally to Lothlórien! =] Again, I hope the "action" sequence was up to par. -.- Damn action sequences... And I hope we're all enjoying Arianna's first taste of ~*~*~romance~*~*~! Look at that booty, show her the booty, give her the booty, she wants the booty~

But seriously, what's up with this crazy mystery man? And who's this sketchy elf? Will Arianna ever find her center of balance? More to come next time! :D

You have all of my love until then! xx


	9. Pretty, shiny, only-for-looking Elves

Hello, again, everyone! So some big news that may have everything to do with how often I do (or do not :c) update: I am in Germany at the moment for my study abroad. That means that 1) Yes, I am very busy. Settling in and doing my German courses and traveling and what not 2) The internet here is borderline abysmal; I have had this chapter ready for a few days and am _just now_ being able to post it. But I will do my best to not let the time between chapters get out of hand! I still love writing this story and I still love hearing what you all have to say about it, even though I simply do not have the time anymore to respond to each of your reviews individually. But know that I am eternally grateful for all of your kind words. :) They really do mean the world! So, without further ado, here is chapter nine! x

* * *

**9.**

Arianna swallowed nervously.

It had been mere hours since she had reunited with the Fellowship. Arianna hadn't expected to be so relieved to see them all, but as Legolas led her into the large glen where they were all settled, she felt her heart jump. The sight of the hobbits and Aragorn and Gimli – hell, even Boromir – all safe and sound made a wide smile spread across her face. She sat through endless questions about her well-being, and what's worse, endless and unbearable compliments about her dress.

"You look beautiful!" Pippin said, wide-eyed. "Almost like a proper Elf!"

It was a general consensus from all of the company, save for Boromir; he'd done quite a spectacular job of ignoring her, and he was even quiet throughout dinner, which was taken on the ground. A small price to pay for how incredibly extravagant it was: breads and cheeses and fruits and vegetables, even a few strange bits of meat – the largest and most delicious meal Arianna had eaten since arriving in Middle Earth. She had been stretched out on the ground, just lounging and enjoying the peaceful sounds of quiet nature when he had shown up: a stern-faced Elf with dark gold hair.

"Lady Arianna." His voice was deep and even, and Arianna swallowed her tongue when his eyes caught her own.

"Yes?" she squeaked, cursing herself. She cleared her throat, standing slowly, straightening the blasted dress as it nearly tangled around her feet. "What can I do you for, Haldir?"

He quirked an eyebrow. "Your presence is requested. I must ask that you follow me."

"Uhh." Arianna turned towards the others, and she saw Legolas was already quickly making his way over.

"He wants me to follow him," she said, pointing to Haldir. "I'm not a stalker."

Legolas sent Arianna a withering glance. "Why is she needed?"

Haldir paused for a moment. "The Lady would like to speak with her."

"The Lady?" Arianna squeaked again. "You mean Galadriel?" Haldir sent her a fierce glare. "Sorry, _Lady_ Galadriel. What does she want me for?" She nearly felt compelled to grasp onto Legolas's arm for safety. For some reason, the thought of talking with Galadriel unnerved her.

"An audience," Haldir offered simply.

"Audience for what?" Arianna continued nervously. "Is she putting on a show?"

Arianna watched as Legolas's lips twitched, no doubt holding back a smile. She frowned. Was he laughing at her? "Arianna is under my charge. Might I accompany her?"

_Yes!_ Arianna thought. Facing Galadriel wouldn't be nearly as unsettling with Legolas there.

"I am afraid not." _What?!_ "The Lady has requested that she come alone."

This time, Arianna really did grab onto the Legolas's arm, wrapping herself firmly around his bicep. "I don't want to go alone," she insisted.

"Why not?" Haldir posed, giving her a haughty look.

"I'm—I'm," Arianna floundered, "blind! That's right," she laughed, widening her eyes and sticking her arm out, groping at the air. "Blind as a bat, yes, sir. Can't see a thing without my seeing-eye Elf here!" She reached sloppily towards Legolas, still staring straight ahead. She nearly winced when she felt her hand knock into his face, fingers bumping his teeth.

She watched the patience drain from Haldir's eyes. "Enough of this folly. You will follow me."

Arianna dropped the act, glaring at him. "I will do no such thing."

Legolas sighed. "My apologies, Haldir. She is a very stubborn girl."

"Thank you."

"That was not a compliment, Arianna."

"Anything is a compliment if I want to take it as one."

"Please don't be difficult."

"Why? I don't want to be easy. I'm not going to bend over and take it just because the Marchwarden thinks he's a special snowflake. If Haldir wants me to follow him, then he can ask _nicely_, and maybe I'll think about it." Arianna turned smartly and closed her eyes, folding her arms across her chest.

"Arianna—"

"Lady Galadriel wishes to speak with you. Lady Arianna, will you _kindly_ follow me?" Haldir's voice was tight, and Arianna peeked one eye open, glancing at him. His eyes were narrowed, and his mouth was carved into a severe frown. Legolas looked exasperated.

"Fine," she said suddenly. "Since you asked nicely."

Haldir turned on heel and began to walk away, and Arianna hesitated. She turned to Legolas. "What do I do?" she asked quietly.

"Go with Haldir," he said simply. "I believe the Lady wishes to speak with you about

…dilemma."

Arianna nodded. She opened her mouth to say something, but words failed her. Her throat felt full and tight. "Go," Legolas asserted softly. "You needn't worry. You'll find no harm in Lothlórien."

"I might," Arianna said. "I don't think Haldir's too pleased with me. He's got a bit of a short fuse, hasn't he?"

Legolas smiled. "Go," he urged.

She took a deep breath before nodding, turning about and jogging after Haldir, holding the bottom of her dress so she didn't stumble. It wasn't getting any easier to walk in, much less run. When she met Haldir at the bottom of a flight of stairs, she could see that he was barely hiding his impatience.

"March on, marchwarden!" Arianna said loudly. "Come on, the way you were talking, I thought we were in a hurry or something!"

She grinned when his eyes narrowed, trotting up the stairs after him. The day was melting away into night, and the cool breeze felt nice as it wound through her hair. Lothlórien really was beautiful. "Have you lived here all your life?" Arianna asked suddenly, nearly in awe. The thought of growing up in a place like this – it was more than magical.

"Yes," he answered shortly.

"It's so beautiful. I can't believe you see this every day."

Haldir gave a backwards glance, a curious expression on his face. _I assume he has no idea what to think of me right now._ He turned back around. "I do not see it every day. My duties keep me much away. But yes…it is beautiful."

Arianna hummed, and then, in order to keep him away from his irritated silence, continued her barrage. "So your duties – what are they? I mean, what does a marchwarden do exactly?"

"My men and I keep safe the borders of the forest. We defend the Golden Wood from the forces of Moria."

"Wait a minute, the goblins come all the way down here?"

"Not in great numbers – not anymore. However, there are still a few that challenge the safety of the borders. We see to it that they do not succeed."

"Well, that's good. Thanks for that, mate. Say, shouldn't you be gone, though?" Arianna remembered that Haldir's company set back out for the borders after the Fellowship arrived in Lothlórien. "Not to be rude, but I thought you'd be back to your post by now. It's been three days and all."

Haldir's hand moved to the hilt of his sword. "My company leaves at dawn."

"Oh." Arianna felt a trickle of sympathy for him. She was becoming all too familiar with the feeling of being away from home. She had a lot of respect for Haldir, being away so long to defend his home – a true soldier. A lump formed in her throat – soldiers.

They were all soldiers – Haldir, Legolas, Aragorn, Gimli, Boromir, even the Hobbits; this was war – each and every one of them was at risk, each and every one of their lives. The possibility of death lingered in the back of their minds every day. Arianna's heart skipped a beat, and she faltered, tripping on the stair and falling to her knees. Her chest was heavy, and her ears were buzzing. Tears threatened the corners of her eyes. They could all die at any moment.

* * *

"…for his act of valor above and beyond the call of duty…United States Army awards Master Sergeant Adrian Marlowe…this Medal of Honor…"

The words faded in and out of Arianna's mind. She stood like stone, a monument upon the stage. Her heart was empty, her mind in fragments. She was standing within feet of the President of the United States, and all she could think of doing was walking straight up to him and tearing his face off. There was anger and confusion and hurt, powerful emotions welling up inside of her. Silent tears streaked down her face and she hated every single person that was sitting out in those white, plastic chairs. Stoic faces on military uniforms, come to mourn a brother in arms.

Suddenly they were standing, and clapping, and suddenly there were arms around her. Mom and dad, come to make out like they were a proper family, mourning together for the cameras.

She hated them.

Every single one.

* * *

"You're still ill."

"I'm fine!" Arianna startled herself with the level of ferocity that she put behind her statement. She struggled up, dusting off her front. "I just…tripped on this fucking sea of a dress. Can we get going?"

Haldir's frown deepened, but he turned and began to ascend the steps once again. Arianna stayed quiet for the trip, brooding and trying desperately to push away the memories that invaded her mind. Filthy, disgusting memories – terrible and lingering, like the worst of diseases. She wiped irritably at her face, smearing tears across her cheeks. When they arrived at the top, Galadriel was waiting patiently, her hands folded in front of her neatly. _Calm as fucking ever_, Arianna thought bitterly.

Galadriel spoke Elvish to Haldir in her effortless tone, and Arianna managed to make out the Elvish words for 'thank you.' Beyond that, she was deaf. After a few moments, Haldir gave a bow and turned to leave. He paused as he began to pass Arianna, and – slowly, as if it pained him to do so – bowed to her as well. His footsteps echoed down the stairway, another layer to the soundtrack of Lothlórien. When she could no longer hear him, she turned her full attention to Galadriel.

Galadriel took her in for another moment, quietly. "You have much pain in your heart."

"Life hurts a lot more than death," Arianna responded. _Good on you, Jim Morrison._

"This war brings with it many unpleasant memories. But you know their fates." Galadriel gave her a mystic stare. "And yet you still fear for their lives."

"Things can change. I don't believe everything I know is a guarantee."

"You do not wish them to die?"

"I don't want anyone to die!" Arianna returned heatedly. "What kind of person do you think I am?"

"I know your heart, Arianna."

"Oh, well, wonderful. If you go and have coffee together anytime soon, tell my heart it can stop being such a sentimental asshole."

Galadriel was quiet for another moment, and Arianna felt the strangest feeling surround her: a weightless, lightheaded feeling that left her eyes fluttering. "Stay out of my head," she ground out, squeezing her eyes shut.

"What was done for your brother was honorable, and yet you hold so much anger."

Arianna's eyes shot open, and then narrowed into a slender glare. "They gave my family a hunk of metal," she whispered angrily. "I didn't want an award! I wanted my brother back!" Tears slipped suddenly from her eyes.

Galadriel's eyes seemed to become brighter, and she smiled sympathetically. "You know the costs of war well."

"What has that got to do with anything?" Arianna demanded loudly, wiping at her eyes. "Why are we even talking about this?! I thought you wanted to talk to me about why I'm here."

"Ah, but my dear," Galadriel moved down the stairs smoothly, coming to stand in front of Arianna. She laid a hand on Arianna's cheek softly. "That is precisely what I am doing."

Arianna walked numbly down the winding stairs, her mind full, soaked in confusion. It made sense…sort of. Not really. Maybe soon. The words echoed in her ears and she wiped at her face again, the last of her tears collecting on her palm. She discarded them carelessly on her dress, wrinkling the fabric in tight fingers as she watched the stairs pass away under her feet. She wanted very much to crawl into the nearest hole and cover her head with the fabric of her dress, block out the world for a while.

"My, my. You look as if you have seen a ghost." Arianna stopped dead in her tracks, one foot hanging above the next step. She pulled it back, settling on two solid feet before she looked up. He stood there, looking so smug that he hardly seemed like an Elf. His arms were crossed over his chest, his shoulder leaned lazily against the tree. "Have My Lady's words upset you?"

"Firverior," she acknowledged.

"Ah." He pushed off the tree, straightening his robes. "I see my reputation precedes me."

"Yeah, your reputation for being a creep: Firverior the Curious, or so I hear. Visiting me three times? That's a little sketchy."

"'Sketchy?'" He tasted the foreign word with an inquisitive look before letting a grin slide onto his lips. "I believe I remember hearing the word 'flattering.'"

"Don't get it twisted, bud. It's creepy, and you know it." Arianna remembered that she wasn't supposed to be speaking to Firverior – she had promised Legolas, but she hadn't quite expected him to just _show up_ and spark conversation. She glanced around. How was she to go about not being alone with him when they were the only two around?

"I suppose I must apologize, then. It was not my intention to be…_creepy_. I am simply, as you put it, curious. It has been long since I have seen or spoken with a human."

"Yeah." It's all Arianna could manage. Firverior had set himself up. She could now easily fall into telling him that he wasn't to talk to her unless he had Legolas's permission. _Or_, she thought, _I could do whatever the hell I want. Legolas doesn't have to know. _She weighed her choices, frowning. Firverior was interested in her because she was a human. That wasn't suspicious, and he certainly didn't seem malicious. What was the harm of talking to him, really? "So, you don't get out of the city much?"

Firverior smiled, and Arianna thought she could see in his eyes a flash of victory. "No. I travel very seldom."

"Why's that?"

Firverior looked to the sky. "I cannot say that I have a real reason. I have never had the calling to leave Lothlórien."

"Well, I can't blame you for that. If I lived here, I don't think I'd ever really want to leave, either."

Firverior turned back to her and smiled. "So, you are feeling well again?"

"Well enough, at least. I got sick of laying in bed."

"But you were hardly conscious to know that you laid so long."

"Yeah, well. Let's just say I prefer to live my life vertically." She pointed to the sky. "Nowhere to go but up and what have you." She then noticed that the sky was growing steadily darker. Evening was moving in, and despite only having been awake a few hours, she felt a bit tired. "Well, I'd better get back to my friends."

Firverior nodded. "Of course. Shall I escort you, my lady?"

Arianna laughed. "Oh, so you can see the look on Legolas's face when he finds out that you finally got to me? No way, mister." She shook her finger at him accusingly. He gave a smile, and the mischievous twinkle in his eye told her that was precisely what he had hoped to see. "And for future reference, if you want to talk to me while he's around, he's been very clear that you are to ask his permission. He is my _guardian_, after all." Arianna let the word drawl off her lips, rolling her eyes skyward.

"Well, then, Lady Arianna," Firverior stepped up to her and took her hand in his. He placed a light kiss on her knuckles. "I shall have to make sure that I do not talk to you while he is around." Arianna raised a surprised brow, and Firverior returned the gesture smugly. "Goodnight," he whispered, leaning close. "_Quel kaima, Aier_."

Arianna blinked, swallowing thickly. His voice was low and soft, smooth like steamed silk. It sent a shiver down her spine, and she fought to hold it in. "Uh, yeah," she choked. "Bye!"

Arianna skirted passed the Elf, pulling her hand free of his and hurrying down the stairs. She made herself dizzy with how quickly she took them, two at a time, if she could. Her face was flushed, and she scolded herself for letting him affect her. He was just a guy! Well, an Elf. A very tall, attractive Elf…with dark hair and bright blue eyes. Arianna shook her head. For some reason, guilt stirred in her stomach. She thought back to Legolas – the first Elf she'd ever met. He was attractive, too. Maybe it was just Elves in general. _They have that effect on people, I guess. _

"Right," Arianna said quietly. "That's all it is. Just because they're beautiful in every way does not mean that I am attracted to them. Well, not romantically, anyway. They're just nice to look at. That's all. Eye candy. Pretty, shiny, only-for-looking Elves."

"Arianna?"

"Ah! _Christ_, Aragorn, don't do that!" Arianna held a hand to her pounding heart, resting the other on Aragorn's shoulder for support. "If I were an old lady, you would have killed me!"

"My apologies," he grinned. "Have you just come back from your audience with Lady Galadriel?"

"Uhh," Arianna straightened herself and cleared her throat. "Yup, good ole' Galadriel. That's where I came from." _Not from a secret rendezvous with a would-be stalker Elf… _"Say, you aren't heading back to the camp, are you? I wasn't really paying attention to where I was going when I followed Haldir."

"I assumed as much. At the risk of being blunt, you pay very little attention to anything." He laughed, a teasing gleam in his eyes.

"Hey!" Arianna called, laughing. She punched Aragorn lightly on the arm as she followed him. "I pay attention to _important_ things!"

"Oh yes? Such as?"

"Such as," Arianna began, grinning, "how devilishly handsome my companions are fresh from a wash." She reached up to muss Aragorn's hair. "I was beginning to think you all didn't know what bathing was."

"It is a luxury we must unfortunately forgo in such times."

"Emphasis on the unfortunately!" Arianna laughed. "Hey, look who it is!"

Boromir looked up from his seat and promptly narrowed his eyes at her. He stood and promptly made his way to the alcove where they had set up their makeshift beds. When he disappeared underneath the rock, Arianna sighed. "Well, he's still mad. No real surprise there."

"You should try to speak with him. He is not nearly as angry as you seem to think."

Arianna huffed a strand of hair out of her face. "I know I should. I have to apologize for being a quality bitch to him. But now he avoids me like the plague; I can't get anywhere near him without him running off!"

Aragorn smiled. "Well then, you must make sure he does not see you approaching."

Arianna gasped. "Aragorn! Are you suggesting I ambush a warrior of Gondor? That is absolutely…delightful." She bit her lower lip, swallowing a Cheshire grin.

"It is ill-advised, my friend." Arianna turned to Legolas as he approached. She could see that he, too, had just come from washing. His face was clean and he smelled fresh, his hair only slightly damp against his back. It lay limp against his back, missing his usual braids and falling over his shoulder to dust his chin. Arianna swallowed again, tearing her gaze away before her brain melted out her ears. _Damn stupid, pretty Elves…_

"Awe, c'mon, Legs! Where's your sense of adventure?" She winked.

Legolas wrinkled his nose. "Legs?" he repeated softly.

Arianna blinked. "Yeah, not my best go at a nickname. Forget I said it. But hey! Since you're both here now, I have a few questions."

The three of them sat, circled around a small fire. It was a warm comfort to Arianna's chilled shoulders. She frowned, silently cursing the dress that Legolas had put her in. _Quite nice, he said._ Arianna wanted to roll her eyes. _Quite stupid, more like._ "So anyway, first things first, my bilingual boys: who would like to tell me what 'quelle kaima, air' means?" They both chuckled, and Arianna furrowed her brow. "What? Did I say it wrong?"

The two exchanged amused glances. "Your accent leaves much to be desired," Legolas said frankly. "_Quel kaima, Aire_." The words rolled off his tongue fluently and Arianna pouted. _Show off._ "It means, 'sleep well, little one.'"

"_Little one?!_" Arianna projected loudly. _Why that pompous, arrogant—_

"Why do you ask?" Aragorn posed.

"Oh, uh," Arianna shifted her eyes. "Well, on my way back I passed this darling Elvish couple – they were so cute, bless them – and that's what he said to her. I only wondered what it meant."

"It is an endearment," Legolas offered.

"It's endearing in Elvish to call someone small?" _Talk about culture shock. I'm offended._

"This is strange to you?" Legolas questioned.

"A little. Pun fully intended. But we don't have to go into a huge grammar lesson. I just wanted to know." She shrugged. "All right, second nature of business!" She held up a solitary finger. "And this one if very important! It's directed towards the both of you, and before you ask – yes, I have thought about it, and yes, I am sure." That wasn't entirely true, but Arianna made up her mind quickly, and she very rarely went back once something was decided. "Okay, here goes." She took a deep breath, giving them a serious face.

"I want to learn how to fight."

* * *

This chapter was a bit of a filler, but it also had some very _important_ tidbits, and I hope you caught them all! We finally learn a little bit about Arianna, and oh my - it's certainly not good at all! :c Throw in a bit of Firverior the Curious and raging, young-adult hormones and we've got ourselves a proper stew!

I am, as always, happy to hear what you thought, whether it be positive or negative, criticism or straight-up love. :) Please drop a review if you feel so inclined, and I will see you at the next installment! xx


	10. Crying Under Water

Hello, everyone! I am deeply sorry for the over-long wait for this chapter! Life in Germany caught up with me, and for some reason, I just had a lot of trouble with this chapter. It is fairly important plot wise, and I wanted it to be perfect, but every time I tried to write on it, it never seemed right. But I changed one little thing, and then everything just started flowing! Now I'm eager to post it, and to prove that I have not forgotten my beautiful readers! (: I hope you enjoy chapter ten (in which Arianna is a drama queen!) But, no, really. Emotions, man. They can suck. So, without further adieu, we continue!

* * *

"You are sulking."

Arianna jumped, turning her head to the side to catch sight of Firverior as he approached. "I am _not_ sulking."

"Indeed? Then why do you pout so? You look like a scolded young _elleth_."

Arianna turned away, resting her chin on her forearms again. She squeezed her knees tighter to her chest and huffed away a strand of hair. "All right, fine. So I'm sulking. What does it matter?"

"It matters a great deal." She spotted his feet from her peripheral. "May I sit with you?"

_You're not supposed to, but…_ "Yeah, I guess. As long as you don't mind your pretty dress getting all dirty."

He chuckled as he sat. "I see your disheartened disposition has done little to temper your spirited tongue."

"I try not to disappoint," she responded blandly. Truth be told, she wasn't particularly in the mood to deal with him at the moment. Her conversation with Aragorn and Legolas last night hadn't gone quite as she had planned, and she was still bitter about the outcome.

"Might I ask what troubles you so?"

"You might," she said shortly, and when Firverior realized that she wouldn't say more, he continued.

"And what is it that lengthens your hours?"

Arianna let her head drop back to rest on the bark of the tree she was propped against. She sighed heavily, squinting at the rays of sunshine that filtered through a layer of leaves. "They won't teach me to fight," she said quietly.

"Your companions?" She refused to look at him, but Arianna could see that Firverior kept his attention on her face, his sharp chin dipped just slightly to gaze down at her curiously.

"Yeah. I asked them last night if they would train me. We ran into a little trouble on the way here, and I figured it wouldn't hurt to learn how to defend myself. I mean, the world's in the middle of a war after all."

"A judicious thought."

"But they said they wouldn't do it!" Arianna returned immediately, her voice jumping up a pitch. "They said there was no reason for me to learn to fight."

"No reason?" Firverior repeated. "You have already said, we are in the middle of a war – is that not reason enough for your companions?"

"No," Arianna said despondently. "When I made the point, they told me that I didn't need to fight – that they would protect me. They said when they found me, and when I began travelling with them, that they made a promise to protect me at all costs." She turned her head down, staring straight ahead. "But I can't get by on their promises. I don't want to always have to depend on them. I need to be able to protect myself. When we were attacked in Moria, I got by on pure luck. If something else happens, I need to be able to hold my own." _And I need to be able to protect other people as well. I can't just stand around in the group looking pretty while Boromir gets killed, or when Merry and Pippin get carried off. I need to be able to do _something_._

"But," Firverior began evenly, "what could happen? You are in Lothlórien now. You are safe here."

"But we won't stay here forever," she responded. "We have to leave eventually."

"But would _you_ not stay?"

Blinking, Arianna finally turned her gaze to Firverior. "No," she said immediately. "Why would I?"

"As I understand it, you are here by a happy mistake, are you not? You were not originally meant to travel with the Fellowship. Why continue on with them, when you have finally come here, where it is safe? Where you could see the Lady and find a way back to your homeland?"

Arianna's eyes narrowed. "So my secret's out."

"Elves have very sharp hearing," Firverior smirked. "And the handmaidens are prone to idle gossip. There is rarely a secret here in Lothlórien."

"And you converse with a lot of handmaidens, do you?" She gave him an unimpressed look, and his smirk widened.

"I did not say I heard it from the handmaidens," he said playfully.

"Right," Arianna scoffed. She turned away again, resting her chin on her forearms once more. _Is he right, though? What if I did stay here? Would Galadriel be able to help me get back home, over time? What she told me about my soul…if she had more time, could she find a way to fix me?_

She hadn't told anyone about what she and Galadriel had discussed. She was still trying to digest it herself. _It doesn't seem real. I mean, I thought falling into Middle Earth was weird, but…to have another soul inside my body? A merger, Galadriel called it. Her soul escaped to my world and mixed with mine before I was even born. I'm only really _half_ me. The other half is her. _

_Adonnenniel._

Arianna bit her lower lip as she felt the back of her eyes burn. As soon as Galadriel had told her_, _her entire life had shattered in one moment. Everything she knew, everything she was, everything she had ever done was called into question. Had it been Arianna Marlowe who had pushed a boy off the slide in fifth grade, or had that been Adonnenniel? Was it Adonnenniel who was clumsy, or Arianna? Who was the one who liked to walk under the stars at night when they couldn't sleep? And who had Danny, Sebby, and Rem really befriended? _She's weaved into my soul; every decision I've ever made has been influenced in part by her. How would my life had been…if she had never been a part of me?_

"Something else troubles you."

"No," Arianna responded immediately.

"Is it what the Lady said?"

"_No_," Arianna repeated firmly.

"What did she say?"

Arianna stood suddenly, wiping off her backside. "I'm going back. I wouldn't follow if I were you. Legolas will have a conniption if he knew we've been talking."

She turned and began to walk away, hearing Firverior stand as well. "You cannot walk away from these troubles, Arianna."

"I've got two legs and a heartbeat," she responded cattily. "I can do whatever I want."

Firverior didn't follow her, for which she was relieved. Her mind had been so full last night that she hadn't gotten a proper sleep, and she was so irritated with Aragorn and Legolas that she had fumed at them all morning, trading cordial, passive-aggressive comments over a breakfast of breads and cheeses. She wasn't in the mood for more social interaction. She walked up to one of the winding staircases that lead up a great Mellorn tree, approaching the guard. "Uh, hi? Hey, can you tell me if there's like a library or something here?"

The guard tipped his chin down, acknowledging her. "I am afraid I do not understand, my lady. What is a li-bruh-ry?"

"Oh, uh, right. So a places with lots of books, or scrolls? You know, things to read?"

"Ah, the annals. It is quite a distance. Please, allow me to show you the way."

"…Sure." _Of course. The annals. Because library is a _much_ weirder word._

Arianna followed the guard quietly, doing her best to pay attention. If _the annals_ ended up being any good, she would need to know how to get back. He was right, though; it was a long way from where she had been, and she lost track after they passed eight of the tall, identical trees that made up Lothlórien. _Up some windy stairs, through a couple of flets, ignore Legolas because I'm angry with him right now. Wait a hot second! What's he doing up here, and who's that lady-elf? No, wait, I don't care! Angry._

"Here we are, my lady."

"Sweet. Thanks, bossman!"

"…The pleasure is mine. I must return to my post now. Enjoy your studies." He bowed his head and wandered off, leaving Arianna frowning.

"Studies?" she whispered to herself. "I'm in Middle Earth, I'm not gonna' do any homework. Ew." She shook her head, entering the room and blinking.

It was a large flet, housing nothing but elegant bookshelves, which were all full to bursting with scrolls and books and bindings of parchments. She recalled the scene in the first movie, where Gandalf had scoured Gondor's archives, all scattered about in a dark room. She had expected it to be somewhat similar, but she couldn't have been more wrong. Everything was neat here, organized. Even lone parchments seemed to be neatly rolled or folded and put in a proper place. "This is great," she whispered, running fingertips over the bindings of a row of books. She began idly picking at things, putting most everything back as soon as she realized that everything was in Elvish. She picked and put until she ran across a large stack of small parchments, tucked into a corner bookshelf, and organized in what looked to be a medieval file-folder. She picked one out at random, making sure to mark it place with her finger.

"Common Tongue," she exclaimed. "Geez, it's about time. Okay, let's see, what do we got here? '_The Greenwood becomes more infected by the week. Mirkwood, many are now calling it. In my scouting, I encountered the royal procession. Thranduil's people are moving to the far north to avoid the growing threat. I have heard tell of great spiders now roaming the woods. Something evil is stirring, but what, I cannot say._'"

Arianna slid the paper back into place. "Well, that was cheerful." She picked another. "_'I felt a great evil as I travelled to the White City of Men. Its brilliance was dimmed by the growing shadow to the east. Dark clouds now hang over the empty lands of Mordor, and the rolling thunder seems endless. The Men say the shadow has been become much stronger in the past year. Mordor is awakening.'_"

She stuffed that one back, too. Almost violently, she plucked another from the small holder. "_'Dol Guldor is tainted. Rumors of a necromancer have surfaced, and he summons the dead to him. They say it is the Witch-king of Angmar, his corrupt soul awakened by his master's call. There are whispers. It is lost, but he is searching.'_" She slid the small piece of parchment neatly back in place, heart heavy as she realized now what she had stumbled upon.

"Recon," she whispered heavily. "These are scouting reports from when Sauron was beginning to come back to power." Delicately, she grabbed another. "'_Orcs have been spotted near the river. They razed a series of villages across the land. They left none alive._'"

The paper slipped from Arianna's shaky hand, her stomach churning. She stumbled back, running into a bookshelf and sliding down to her knees. _This is what he dealt with every day_, she thought. _He read reports like every single day. How did he manage it? How did he manage to be around all this and still come home every time, with a smile on his face?_

"Adrian," she whispered, picking up the small paper carefully. She stared at the dark ink, tears threatening her eyes. "How did you do it? How can _I_ do it? I'm not ready to be in a war. I'm not smart enough, I'm not strong, I can't fight." She dropped her head and squeezed her eyes shut, the tears falling slowly onto her dress. "What can I do?" she whispered, her voice cracking. "_What can I do?_"

* * *

Arianna slipped into the small pool, letting the cool water rush over her skin. Her throat was raw, and her eyes were tight; her head hurt, and her nose was stuffy. She shook her head, dunking under the water quickly and staying for a moment to let it cool her face. She only broke the surface again when her lungs were burning for air. She wiped at her face, pushing thick strings of wet hair from her forehead. Sighing, she reached for the vials that the handmaidens had provided her with. There was no shampoo and conditioner here, only varying degrees of soaps, all of which smelled earthy and sweet.

_This is my first real bath since I woke up,_ she thought suddenly. _I mean, the healers wiped me down, but this is the first time I actually get to scrub._

She began working one of the soaps through her hair, fighting tangles and knots and scrubbing away the dirt and grease little by little. When she had rinsed and repeated, she moved on to her body. She shouldn't have been surprised by how dirty she was, considering how long it had been since she'd bathed, but as she scrubbed at skin with the small cloth and soap, she watched rivulets of brown- and black-tinted water slide down her arm. _Dirt_, she thought._ And soot from Moria. _She shivered, the thought of being so dirty offending the 21st century inside of her. She dipped into the water again, coming up and shaking her hair out. A strange tingling worked its way over her body where she had washed, and she ran her hands over the skin. It was slick with water, smooth to the touch. Blinking, she returned to the edge of the small pool and grabbed the vial, sniffing it a bit. _Was it this stuff? Is this some kind of Middle Earth equivalent of Nair? I'm going to have to make a point to ask the recipe for this._

_Or_, she thought slowly, _if I stay here in Lothlórien, I could use it whenever I want._

"Firverior said it, didn't he? Why wouldn't I stay here? It makes sense…doesn't it?" she asked out loud, wading back into the water slowly. She made her way over to a large rock that broke the water's surface, leaning her forearms on it and resting her wet chin on them. "Why should I go with them? It's not like I can help in any way. I'm not allowed to tell what I know, so I can't warn them about what's going to happen." She pouted. "And they won't teach me to fight, so I'll be useless on that end, too. I don't even know how to do the stereotypical girl things – cooking, sewing their clothes." Arianna wrinkled her nose at the thought. Housework had never been her thing. She frowned, sighing heavily. "I have literally nothing to offer them." She closed her eyes, groaning and letting herself fall off the rock and sink under the water.

She opened her eyes, flinching at the slight burn. The pool was clear and beautiful, with bright green grass swaying at the bottom. She stayed underneath the surface, letting her tears mix with the water. _They don't need me. There's no reason for me to be here. I'm useless. _Her lungs were beginning to burn again, and she shook her head under the water, closing her eyes. _Sarah knew it. She figured it out. Dying in this world means I get to go back home. It's got to. Just because I have an elf-lady soul inside of me doesn't mean I belong here! _

She opened her eyes just as she felt her brain going fuzzy and let out a surprised gasp. Coughing, she struggled to the surface, breaking through and gasping for air, wiping at her eyes and quickly turning around. "What the hell are you doing here?" she yelled, slapping the water as her chest began to warm.

"I was bathing," came the short reply. "I did not realize you were also in the pool."

Arianna opened her mouth to reply, but stopped short. She had been hidden under the water – he was obviously telling the truth. He hadn't seen her. "Well," she said, trying to control the anger in her voice, "would you mind getting lost so I can get out and get dressed?"

"I am already in the pool. It would be pointless for me to leave. I will turn my back."

Arianna puffed out her cheeks. She didn't particularly trust him, but she supposed it would have to do. She was supposed to be making nice, after all. "Fine. Just don't look!"

"Believe me, I have no interest in doing so."

She held back a growl, fisting a hand and taking a deep, calming breath. Wading out in irritated steps, she quickly dried off and put her clothes back on. She could see his strong back as he looked away, his broad shoulders made of sturdy. Frowning, she turned away, gathering the small vials of soap and putting her shoes back on. She bit her tongue, glaring at the trees ahead of her. "I—I'm sorry," she murmured grudgingly. "Ever since we've met, I've been a royal bitch to you, and it wasn't right. I overreacted from the start, and I realize that you were only responding to my aggression with your own. I know you're a good man, and I hope because of that, you can forgive me." She began to rush forward, not eager to hear his response. However, she stopped short, her tongue getting the better of her.

"Oh, and Boromir…nice cock."

* * *

"We're best friends now," Arianna whispered to Pippin. He giggled, hiding behind his hand as Boromir continued to glare in their direction. "He totally forgives me, and now I'm his favorite person."

"Vulgar woman," Boromir muttered.

Legolas watched the exchange with curious eyes. He could tell that Arianna was still cross with Aragorn and himself, because she had not spoken a word to either of them since returning to the alcove. She took dinner with the hobbits and had been snickering with the young Pippin since she'd sat down. Their amusement seemed to come solely from the furious Gondorian, who had also been in a foul mood since returning to camp after his wash. _Has she angered him yet again?_ _She seems to find endless enjoyment from riling him._

"Do you want to know a secret?" she whispered to the young hobbit next to her. Pippin's eyes lit up in excitement and he nodded eagerly. "I think he might even be in love with me!"

Legolas found his own eyes widening at her blunt statement as the two dissolved into fits of laughter. Boromir in love with Arianna? Surely not. He turned his gaze to the man, whose gaze had now turned to a look of shock. "You—" he sputtered, "you are infuriating! An infuriating fool!"

"I may be a fool," Arianna returned with a grin, "but at least I'm not in love with one!" She and Pippin dissolved into laughter again, and Boromir stood sharply. Arianna tried to steady her breathing, holding back her sniggers. "Awe, come on, don't leave! I was just joking!"

"Do not let her words trouble you, my friend." Arianna snorted as Aragorn spoke. She still wasn't pleased with him.

"Troubled? He's not troubled!" She snickered again, biting at her tongue. "He's just embarrassed cause I saw his dick!" She fell over, holding her side as she laughed. Several sputters sounded from around the small fire, and Arianna listened to them with a wide grin. Oh, these poor, simple men with their adorable medieval morals. "So embarrassed, even though he needn't be! Who knew the proud son of Gondor actually had reason to be so proud!"

Instead of glaring at her again, Boromir smirked down at her. "I am not the only one with reason to be proud. You may act like a child, but you have the body of a woman."

Arianna stopped laughing immediately and sat up. Her eyes widened as she stared at him. "What did you say?" she yelped.

"You turned quickly when you surfaced from the water," he began haughtily, "but not quickly enough."

Arianna's face lit up with a blush and she stood as well, gripping the fabric of her dress in anger. "You jerk! You looked!"

"It was no fault of mine. How was I to know that you would burst from the water unclothed?"

"You—" she stuttered, "you—"

"One has to wonder what you were doing under the water for so long. Were you perhaps waiting for me?" he smirked, folding his arms.

"No, I was not!" she insisted heatedly. "Who would want to see you naked, you ass?"

"If you were not waiting, then what were you doing?" he countered, raising his brows.

"None of your business!" she shouted.

Boromir's eyes suddenly narrowed. "Why would you suffer so long underneath the water? I was at the pool long before I stepped in."

"I told you, it's none of your business!"

"You could scarcely breathe when you surfaced to address me."

"Arianna," Legolas stepped forward, his own eyes narrowed. "What does Boromir speak of?"

"_Nothing_!" she responded emphatically.

"You struggled to step out of the pool, as if you were faint."

"Will you shut up!"

"Was it perhaps because you were half-drowned?"

"Shut _up_!"

"If I had not intervened, you may have died in that pool."

Arianna opened her mouth to shout again, but she paused, taking in his words. "…Intervened?" she whispered. Her eyes widened in disbelief and fear. "You saw."

She took a step back, heart pounding as several pairs of eyes focused on her reddening face. Eyes burning, she took another step back, trying to control her breathing as it began to pick up. She gritted her teeth, turning on the spot and running away from her companions.

_I hate this! I hate him! That's it! I'm not going to keep hanging around where I'm clearly not wanted! Aragorn and Legolas, especially Boromir – none of them want me around. That's why they won't teach me to fight! They're going to leave me behind!_

The sudden revelation made her stop so suddenly that she tripped and fell to her knees, holding herself up with shaking hands. "That's it," she whispered to herself. She lifted one hand to tangle it in her hair. "That really is it. They said I don't need to fight because once they leave me behind, I won't be in any danger." Tears streamed down her face, and she hiccupped, shaking so hard that she fell to the forest floor.

"_They're going to leave me here_."

* * *

Poor Arianna. Galadriel's words shook her to her core - another soul inside her body? What could that possibly mean for our dauntless heroin? Find out next time on Made to Endure, and don't forget to drop by the review box and tell me what you thought! All my love until the next time! x


End file.
